Community Music’s Lucas Cortazio Opens Up About Writing with Meredith Andrews, their New Music and Creating a Worship Culture

Community Music, the worship arm of Chicago's Community Christian Church, has recently released their new single "Nothing He Can't Do." Featuring Dove Award-winning Word Worship Music recording artist Meredith Andrews along with Community Music worship leaders Lucas and Evelyn Cortazio, the powerful anthem was penned by the Cortazios; Andrews; and Andrew Bergthold (We The Kingdom), who also produced the recording.

Community Music has released two collections of original worship songs to date, Love Over Fear in 2017 and I Will Follow in 2018. Their recordings of titles such as "Name Above The Grave" began to further the collective's awareness around the globe.
 
Rooted in Chicago's Community Christian Church, pastored by Dave Ferguson, Community Music is comprised of worship leaders from the church's 11 campuses. Led by Brazilian-born husband/wife team Lucas and Evelyn Cortazio since 2013, the collective is closely aligned with NewThing, a church planting network created by Community Christian Church representing more than 3000 congregations internationally. The Cortazios and Community Music lead worship annually at the Exponential Conference, and also host songwriting workshops for worship leaders from across the country and around the world. 

We are honored to be able to catch up with Lucas Cortazio for this exclusive interview.

Q: Thank you for doing this interview with us. Tell us a little about Community Christian Church.

Community Christian Church has been around for 30 years in the Chicago area. We have 11 locations- two in the city, eight churches in the suburbs, and one in a prison. Our mission is helping people find their way back to God, and one of the ways we live out this mission by church planting. Community Christian Church founded NewThing, a church planting network that has established over 3,100 churches in nearly 40 countries. 

Q: I believe Community Music is the worship arm of the church. Tell us a little about the worship team and your involvement with the team.

Evelyn and I started Community Music about four years ago. Our team is comprised of worship pastors and leaders from the church. We get to lead and cast vision for our team as we work towards creating a more holistic worship culture for Community Christian Church and the NewThing Network. We also write songs and lead songwriting workshops with NewThing.

Q: You are originally from Brazil, how did you come to minister in the US, specifically with Community Music?

We both grew up around music, in and out of the church. We met at a Brazilian church in Boston, served on their worship team together, started dating, and got married in 2005. A few years and two kids later, we felt called to an English-speaking church in Boston, and that's when we found Reunion Christian Church, a congregation planted by the NewThing Network. We eventually joined the staff and helped plant a second location for the church.

A year later, we were asked to serve as the worship band for the Exponential Conference, the largest church planting conference in the world led by Dave Ferguson, who also pastors Community Christian Church in Chicago. We eventually accepted the worship pastor role at the Yellow Box, the Naperville, Illinois, location of Community Christian Church, and this has been home for six years.

Q: You have recently co-written your latest song with Meredith Andrews. How did you get to work with her? What was it like writing with her?

We've had so many awesome experiences with songwriters across the country. Our friend Jonathan Mason at Word Worship Music set up a co-write between us, Andrew Bergthold, and Meredith Andrews. Having Meredith and Andrew (who also produced the track) be a part of this song has been a blessing to both us and our community. Meredith has a beautiful heart, is obviously anointed and talented, and writing with her was an amazing experience.

Q: What's the story behind "Nothing He Can't Do"?

As we got together to write, Meredith shared that she sensed the Holy Spirit's voice telling her to "bless the name of the Lord before the breakthrough," and that became the chorus of the song. During our writing session, we spent four hours together praying, worshiping, and seeking the Lord, and the result of that time was "Nothing He Can't Do."

Q: Are you guys working on a new album? What are some of the new music we can look forward to?

We are currently working on an EP and are very excited to share this new music soon. The project will feature songs written with friends from Upper Room, Hillsong, and a collaboration our friends Josh Farro and Rebekah Williams who co-wrote "Make Room" with us.

Q: You are also aligned with NewThing, tell us more about NewThing.

NewThing helps church leaders launch and lead local networks of churches that collaborate to plant and multiply even more healthy churches. Our four core values are relationships, reproducing, resources, and residency. NewThing's vision is to see millions of people find their way back to God through new churches being planted all over the world.

Q: What is your vision as a worship leader? How do you wish worship will impact the lives of the church and the world? 

Our vision is to create a worship culture that transcends both Sundays and songs. We believe that worship is an every-breath practice of surrender to the lordship of Jesus. As we continue to write songs that give language to our local communities, we hope to raise and send out the next generation of leaders that will have the heart posture, excellence, and multiplication DNA to impact the churched and unchurched across the globe.

For further information on Community Music, visit communitychristian.org or turningpointpr.com. Follow the group on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. 

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