Stronger Than Life is the latest album by Grace Chapel Boise Worship Band & Friends. It is a blossom of contemporary worship sounds and styles. The album contains 10 fresh and original worship songs written by Mary and Chris Meade. From hard hitting electric guitars and power vocals, to intimate expressions of God's grace and healing touch, this album captures the essence of what God is doing in the lives of many people. These songs were written in such a way that they could be easily reproduced in any congregation and used by any worship team. Two of the songs are Christmas congregational worship songs. Friends from Boise, Tucson and Nashville joined in and added their talent. This project is engineered by Scott Pergande (TheMixHouse ) and mastered by Nashville's, Ken Love of (MasterMix ).
Grace Chapel Worship Band and Friends is led by the songwriting team of Mary and Chris Meade. Both Mary and Chris are seasoned worship leaders and musicians and are part of WorshipAlive Chris is the founding and lead pastor of GraceChape , a vibrant, intergenerational and multicultural church located in Boise, Idaho. Mary is the worship pastor. Together, they have over 40 worship songs listed with CCLI. They are currently are in the process of writing and recording a ourth original worship album.
Says Mary Meade:As far back as I can remember, I knew I wanted to learn to play the piano and sing. I graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree with a piano teaching emphasis. I soon started teaching private piano lessons and I still teach today. During the last couple years of college, through a series of happenings, I finally learned what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I gave my life to Him. From that point on, it was evident to me why I had such a strong desire to learn everything I could about music.
I started writing songs for worship almost immediately after becoming a follower of Jesus. Most of the songs I wrote were shaped from the different things that I was experiencing and learning. In 1984 I met a very special friend, Chris Meade, my co-partner in song writing. We became friends almost immediately and begin writing worship songs together. We were married and eventually moved to Tucson to be a part of Grace Chapel. After being in Tucson for about five years, we felt like God was calling us to plant a church in a capitol city and we ended up in Boise, Idaho where we started Grace Chapel Boise. I've been leading worship and writing worship songs for our congregation for fourteen years along with my husband Chris, the lead pastor of Grace Chapel .
What a privilege it is and has been to be a mouthpiece for our congregation and to be able to express the many wonders God has done in each of us and to be able to express those wonders through the vehicle of writing worship songs. My prayer is that as you learn these songs, they'll be more than just songs to you, but that you will be inspired to live the songs! Says Chris Meade:I too, like Mary was introduced into a family culture of music at a very early age. I began playing piano as a child. Later, I began playing the guitar and writing songs. I was a part of many rock and jazz-fusion bands. I, like many of my friends in those days, wanted to be a 'rock star.
' So, at 19, I moved to San Diego, California to try and make it in the music business as guitarist in the club scene.
It was in the summer of 1982 that a friend slipped me a cassette tape of a Christian band. I had never heard anything quite like it. God used that album to catapult me on a spiritual quest. It wasn't long after, that Jesus Christ gained royal entrance into my heart and changed the meter, tempo, rhythm and song of my life (Psalm 40:3).
I soon joined a local church and began to use my musical gift in a worship team helping others connect to God. It was during that time that I learned the difference between performing to an audience and performing for an audience of One, from my friend, Ma