Elevation Worship

Elevation Worship is an American contemporary Christian worship collective based at Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 2007 alongside the church, the group has become one of the most influential worship movements in modern Christian music. Its music combines contemporary worship with pop, rock, gospel and other modern sounds, producing songs that are widely sung in churches while also reaching a global audience through streaming platforms, radio and live performances.

The collective is closely associated with Elevation Church and its founder and senior pastor, Steven Furtick, who has also contributed to many of its songs. Over the years, Elevation Worship has featured a changing group of worship leaders, singers, musicians and songwriters, including Chris Brown, Brandon Lake, Tiffany Hudson, Jonsal Barrientes and others. The group is particularly known for songs such as “O Come to the Altar,” “Do It Again,” “Graves Into Gardens,” “The Blessing,” “Jireh,” “Same God” and “Praise.”

Elevation Worship’s influence extends beyond its own recordings. Its songs have become part of the repertoire of churches around the world, while its albums have earned numerous Grammy nominations and other major Christian music honours. The group won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2022 for Old Church Basement, its collaborative project with Maverick City Music, and has continued to release new music and tour internationally.

Quick Facts

Formation and Early Years

Elevation Worship was formed in 2007 in connection with the launch of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. From the beginning, the music ministry was intended to serve the church’s growing congregation through original worship songs rather than simply performing established Christian music.

Steven Furtick, who founded Elevation Church, played an important role in the group’s songwriting and creative direction. The collective gradually developed its own team of worship leaders and musicians, with Chris Brown becoming one of its most recognisable creative and vocal figures.

The group’s early recordings were closely tied to the worship life of Elevation Church. As the church expanded, however, its music began reaching audiences outside Charlotte. Live recordings captured the atmosphere of the church’s worship gatherings while also allowing the songs to function independently as recordings.

Rise to International Recognition

Elevation Worship’s early albums established a pattern that would continue throughout its career: live worship recordings built around original songs that could be adopted by other churches. Projects such as Kingdom Come, Here in Heaven and Here as in Heaven helped the group gain a wider audience.

One of the songs that significantly expanded its international reach was “O Come to the Altar,” released on Here as in Heaven in 2016. The song became one of the group’s signature worship anthems and has since been recorded and performed by churches and Christian artists around the world.

“Do It Again,” from the 2017 album There Is a Cloud, continued that momentum. Built around themes of faith, remembrance and trust in God’s faithfulness, the song became another widely recognised part of Elevation Worship’s catalogue.

By the late 2010s, Elevation Worship had developed from a local church worship band into a major contemporary Christian recording act. Its 2018 album Hallelujah Here Below received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, marking the group’s growing recognition within the wider music industry.

Musical Style and Songwriting

Elevation Worship’s sound is rooted in congregational worship, but its production is influenced by contemporary pop, rock, gospel and modern Christian music. The group frequently combines atmospheric instrumentation with large vocal arrangements, creating songs designed to work both in church settings and as standalone recordings.

Its songwriting tends to focus on accessible themes of faith, surrender, God’s character, salvation, prayer and perseverance. Many of the songs are written in a way that allows an individual worshipper to sing them privately while also making them suitable for large congregations.

The group’s songwriting process has involved a broad network of writers and musicians. Steven Furtick, Chris Brown and other members of the collective have contributed to numerous songs, while outside songwriters and Christian artists have also collaborated with the group.

This collaborative approach has allowed Elevation Worship’s sound to evolve over time. Earlier projects were strongly associated with the worship culture of Elevation Church, while later releases have incorporated a wider range of contemporary Christian influences.

Notable Songs and Albums

Elevation Worship’s discography includes numerous influential worship projects. Here as in Heaven, released in 2016, contained “O Come to the Altar,” one of the group’s most enduring songs. There Is a Cloud, released in 2017, featured “Do It Again” and continued the group’s emphasis on songs written for congregational worship.

Hallelujah Here Below followed in 2018 and received a Grammy nomination. In 2020, the group released Graves Into Gardens, whose title track and “The Blessing” became particularly prominent during a period when many churches were turning to online worship because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Blessing,” led by Chris Brown and Steven Furtick, became a global Christian music phenomenon after its release in 2020. The song was also recorded in numerous languages and performed by Christian communities around the world, giving Elevation Worship an even wider international reach.

The group subsequently released Old Church Basement with Maverick City Music in 2021. The project included songs such as “Jireh,” “Wait on You” and “Million Little Miracles.” Its success led to the group’s first Grammy win in 2022 for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.

Other important projects include LION, released in 2022, and When Wind Meets Fire, released in 2024. The latter received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

Major Collaborations

Collaboration has been central to Elevation Worship’s musical development. One of its most important partnerships has been with Maverick City Music, resulting in the 2021 collaborative album Old Church Basement. The project brought together members of both worship movements and produced major songs including “Jireh” and “Wait on You.”

Elevation Worship has also collaborated with individual artists such as Brandon Lake, Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine, Tiffany Hudson, Amanda Lindsey Cook and others. These collaborations have brought different songwriting voices and musical perspectives into the group’s catalogue.

The group has also maintained close creative relationships with musicians associated with Elevation Church. Chris Brown has been particularly significant as a worship leader, songwriter and producer, while Steven Furtick has contributed lyrics and songwriting to numerous recordings.

Awards and Recognition

Elevation Worship has received significant recognition from the Grammy Awards and other Christian music organisations. Its first Grammy nomination came in 2019 for Hallelujah Here Below in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category.

The group received multiple Grammy nominations in subsequent years, including nominations for “The Blessing,” LION, “Jireh” and When Wind Meets Fire. In 2022, Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Old Church Basement. The Recording Academy currently lists Elevation Worship with one Grammy win and multiple nominations.

The group’s songs have also achieved considerable success within Christian music charts and worship communities. More significantly, many of its songs have become congregational standards, giving the collective an influence that extends beyond conventional commercial music measurements.

Recent Career and Legacy

Elevation Worship has remained active as a recording and touring collective into 2026. Its current catalogue includes the album SO BE IT, alongside the Promise & Presence project and other recent releases. The group is also continuing its live ministry through events and the Elevation Nights 2026 tour with Steven Furtick.

Its continuing work reflects the group’s original purpose while showing how much its reach has expanded since its formation in 2007. What began as the music ministry of a growing church in Charlotte has become an international worship movement whose songs are sung by Christians across different denominations, countries and generations.

Elevation Worship’s lasting influence comes largely from its ability to create songs that work simultaneously as contemporary Christian recordings and congregational worship anthems. “O Come to the Altar,” “Do It Again,” “The Blessing,” “Graves Into Gardens,” “Jireh” and “Same God” have each contributed to a catalogue that has become deeply familiar within modern Christian worship.

Through its combination of strong songwriting, large-scale live worship, contemporary production and a consistent focus on Christian faith, Elevation Worship has helped define the sound of modern worship music. Its relationship with Elevation Church remains central to its identity, but its influence now extends far beyond the church where the group began.