Life Church’s youth band has a strong message for the young people of today, and it’s not just about making good music.
By Brian Liu
CN PHOTOS: Daniel Poh and Michael Chan.
Formerly known as RPM, the Life Church youth ministry has rebranded itself with the name I Am Future, which is also the title of its debut album—an intense collection of energetic and worshipful songs.
Recently in Singapore to minister at City Harvest Church’s weekend services, band-members Jock James and Matt Hooper sat down with City News for a quick chat about embarking on this new journey of empowering today’s youth for tomorrow’s challenges.
What is I Am Future?
JJ: IAF is the name given to the youth band, but it’s more than just the band. It’s a movement where we want young people to be involved with and be a part of. It’s not just about making music and having a good time. It has got to be more than that. It’s about getting the truth of the Word of God into young people’s lives.
What we want young people to realize is that when they worship, it’s going to increase their understanding of God, it’s going to change them and they will live that life of worship out in the world.
This movement is called I Am Future because the future starts now. You can make a decision today that can drastically transform your future and the future of those around you. That is what we’re all about.
Matt, you collaborated with some of the CHC musicians on the song “Overcome”. What was the experience like?
MH: We all love building the local church and we want to see people saved and set free, so this was the theme that we wanted to build the song around. No matter what trial or difficulty you are facing, it has already been overcome with God.
We discussed this for about three or four hours and the more we shared, the more convinced we were that we needed to pen down this song. Annabel (Soh) did a great job with the lyrics.
With the church currently going through some trials and struggles, she wrote from that place of struggle and how God is truly the hope of glory in the midst of it all. It was great writing with the CHC team. They were very prayerful, loved God and it was great fun.
What does 2013 hold for IAF?
MH: We’re looking to press deeper into worship, expecting more of the miraculous to break out during our worship services. We used to write very direct, battle-overcoming type of songs, but many of the battles have been won for our church, so we’re looking to write more devotional and prophetic songs.
If you could say one thing to the young people of today, what would it be?
JJ: A key word would be “perspective”. We have got to get the right perspective about God and ourselves. Every young person is awesome. God has called you and made you exactly what you are for a very specific purpose. You are not an accident or a mistake. You are designed perfectly for what God has called you to do. So you should be fired up and excited about that, that God wants to use you.
That’s the first thing. The second thing is to get the right perspective about God; He is all-powerful and nothing is impossible for Him and He wants to work in us and through us. Jesus said that we would do even greater things than He did, so there is absolutely no limit to what we can do.
Only we can put a limit on what He can do. Ephesians 3:20 says that He is able to do more than we can ask, hope or imagine, according to His power at work in us.
I Am Future is now available at http://theinkroom.com.sg/i-am-future.html
