Stuart Townend Ultimate Collection

This one album amazingly condenses all the best loved songs and lyrics of one of the most productive, influential and respected modern hymn-writers into the all in one, essential album for you to take wherever you go.

6 Reason To Add This CD To Your Worship Music Collection:

• All your best loved Stuart Townend songs together on one CD
• One-stop gift for Townend devotees or introduction for new followers
• 16 of your Church's most inspirational and impactful songs
• Uplifting and heartening combination of words and lyrics
• Includes the Stuart's 'most often sung': 'In Christ Alone'
• If can only have one Stuart Townend CD on your desert island, this is it

In Detail...

From ‘The Power of The Cross’ to ‘O Church Arise’, ‘How Deep The Father’s Love For Me’ to ‘Come People Of The Risen King’ - not to mention ‘Psalm 23’, ‘Beautiful Saviour’ and ‘In Christ Alone’ - Stuart Townend’s contribution to the sung worship of the church has been colossal. Each of those tracks is included in the sixteen that appear on this unique compilation. Taken from seven different albums, The Ultimate Stuart Townend Collection is a comprehensive guide to one of our most gifted writers.

This single CD gives you the very best of Stuart Townend’s back catalogue spanning multiple albums and sharing some of the world’s best-loved and most widely sung worship songs.

More than simply a writer of songs – though the Church needs people that can express its praise and devotion to God in music and words, and definitely more than a performer – even to exclusive glory of God, Stuart Townend is a worship leader. Worship is one of the highest callings in the Christian life. It means putting God first and foremost in out hearts, minds and lives. There are many expressions of worship – most importantly in the way we live our lives day to day. But when God’s people come together in one place, that worship takes on a new and corporate form expressed from earliest times in song.

The generation of worship leaders that arose in the wake of Graham Kendrick followed his example of focusing their worship – and ours into contemporary and shared song. In past ages, this was simply called hymn singing. Modern worship in song is more than simply a re-branding of an old and time honoured expression of faith, it’s a revitalisation and a redirecting of focus and energy of the gathered congregation.

Stuart Townend, with his songs and music, is at the forefront of this continuing worship revolution. Of course, the act of leading the singing at the front of a congregation has more than an element of performance about it. And Stuart himself is aware of how this could easily become the ends – rather than a means to an end, for him and other worship leaders. “Even when I’m standing at the front leading,” says Stuart, “I can be more preoccupied with making sure we play the songs well and that the people enjoy the songs, than that I lead them into a meaningful encounter with Christ.”

Stuart is at pains to remind his audience and himself that worship begins with God. “That may seem an obvious statement,” he says, “but it’s something we can miss... Worship needs to be focused on what God requires, not on our own needs or desires.”  So how does Stuart keep his performance and even his worship leadership in perspective when all the attention is on him, and the congregation relying on him to make their worship?

“When I lead a song, says Stuart, “I’m praying that the truth of the words will grip people’s hearts and minds in a fresh way... So we begin with God, not ourselves. And we respond in an honest, expressive way to God and His goodness.”  For Stuart, it seems impossible for him to separate what he does from why he does it and worship is his work. “Our hearts are filled with joy and adoration, part of our worship involves using our bodies to express it. What is in the heart must be expressed in the outward actions.”

And what does that mean in practice – not only for Stuart, but for other worship leaders in local churches Sunday by Sunday? “Well, the best way to stay God-focused is to sing songs, read Scriptures and pray prayers about Him! I believe that, although we have many new songs that effectively describe our feelings as we worship and respond to God, we need more songs that are about HIM. If you lead worship, look for songs that declare the truth about God, about His character, His actions, and what He has done for us.” - Drawn from a blog post “Preparing To Lead Worship” by Stuart Townend.

This “Ultimate Collection CD” gives you sixteen of Stuart Townend’s best loved and most enduringly popular praise, worship and devotional songs. With his characteristically melodic sound and deeply spiritual lyrics, this album gives you a one CD retrospective of all his most influential work, and a one-stop introduction for new devotees to the best in modern Christian song writing and performance.