More Than A Band: 10 Worship Collectives Shaping Modern Praise

These days, worship collectives come in all shapes and sizes. While most function as the musical expression of their respective church congregations or Wednesday night youth gatherings, others are born from annual conferences crafting fresh songs for a new generation, universities raising up the next crop of worship leaders or organic co-writing sessions forging lifelong friendships and even star-studded collaborations. Unlike a traditional band, worship collectives are typically comprised of an ever-evolving lineup with more than one lead singer or even no official lead singer at all. That’s because the attention is focused more on the One the songs are about, rather than a single frontman. No doubt, the landscape of Christian music is currently overflowing with worship collectives, but it seems there’s room at the table for everyone; because each outfit is offering up something slightly different. From traditional Sunday morning gatherings to private moments of personal reflection, today’s tastemakers are redefining what music created in community looks and sounds like. We’re only scratching the surface below, but here are 10 worship collectives shaping modern praise.

Elevation Worship

GRAMMY®-winning collective Elevation Worship initially never intended for their music to be heard on such a wide scale. They certainly never envisioned breaking concert attendance records or walking red carpets. Originally, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based group was simply writing songs for their church to sing. However, originals like “Resurrecting,” “Graves Into Gardens,” “Trust In God” and “When Wind Meets Fire” have swiftly become global anthems for the Church at large. While primary worship leaders and songwriters like Chris Brown and Tiffany Hudson have long been associated with the outfit, Elevation Worship spotlights a variety of faces and voices from within their team and outside their own circle. Nurturing a culture that values collaboration, Elevation Worship has partnered with everyone from Brandon Lake to Maverick City Music.

Passion

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The worship arm of Passion was born out of Passion Conferences, the premier annual gathering for students 18-25, founded by Louie and Shelley Giglio 25 years ago. While the faces of Passion have evolved through the years, the core heartbeat has remained unchanged: To write songs for a generation united for the name and renown of Jesus. In the early days of Passion, worship leaders like Chris Tomlin, Crowder, Christy Nockels and Charlie Hall paved the way for faces of the modern Passion movement, such as Kristian Stanfill, Melodie Malone, Chidima Craig, Brett Younker and Landon Wolfe, among others. From OG selections like “One Thing Remains” and “Glorious Day” to more recent hits like “I’ve Witnessed It” and “The Lord Will Provide,” Passion continues to craft offerings that give young adults relevant language to wrap around their growing faith. They also serve as the core worship team for Atlanta’s Passion City Church.

Sons Of Sunday

Sons Of Sunday is the ultimate worship music supergroup. Comprised of Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake, Chandler Moore, Chris Brown, Pat Barrett and Leeland Mooring, the megawatt collective is serving up some of the most innovative, experimental worship of our day. Already frequent collaborators, the six men decided to gather in an old church to record a bunch of songs that never made it onto any of their respective albums. Those out-of-the-box originals soon found a new home on the group’s self-titled debut, a 12-track LP that’s as diverse and multifaceted as the artists assembled. While there are no known plans to tour together — due to six very busy schedules — Sons of Sunday has gifted fans some of the best songwriting of their career with selections like “God Did!” and “One More Day.” We can only hope this isn’t a one-off special project and that there’s plenty more to come from this supergroup.

Maverick City Music

Originally formed to help launch unknown artists and join Christian and gospel music under one banner, Maverick City Music has become an influential force for unity in the music industry. Allowing diversity to lead the way, the collective has curated an eclectic mix of songwriters, producers, musicians and vocalists to create a steady stream of music that crosses genres and breaks all the traditional rules — while still glorifying God. Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine, Brandon Lake and Joe L Barnes have been some of the most instrumental figures within the Maverick City Music movement. Yet, like their counterparts, the collective itself doesn’t have a consistent public leader, and collaboration is always top of mind. With songs like “Jireh,” “Promises,” “Fear Is Not My Future” and “Constant” in their repertoire, Maverick City Music has recorded and performed with everyone from Elevation Worship and Housefires to Jordin Sparks and Justin Bieber.

SEU Worship

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SEU Worship is the sound of Southeastern University, a private Christian college located in Lakeland, Florida. The group is a blend of current students, alumni, faculty and staff with artists like Chelsea Plank, David Ryan Cook and Kenzie Walker leading the charge. While SEU Worship leads on-campus chapel services each week, as well as regular worship nights, the burgeoning collective is also signed to a label that has helped develop their rotating lineup of gifted musicians into a full-blown national act. In fact, for the past several years, SEU Worship has been a part of Winter Jam — consistently one of the largest annual Christian tours — bringing their popular songs like “Move of God,” “Slower I Go” and “Monday Morning Faith” to arenas across the country.

Gateway Worship

Songs such as “Crowns Down,” “Who Else” and “The More I Seek You” have been gifted to the Church at large by Gateway Worship, the primary musical expression of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. For more than two decades, the collective has been writing, recording and performing original music and, in turn, resourcing other congregations far and wide with fresh songs of praise. Before relocating to Nashville, Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes were a part of the worship team at Gateway. Since then, notable names like Mark Harris, Zac Rowe and Claire Smith have become synonymous with Gateway Worship. The group has also collaborated with a host of well-known artists through the years, including Abbie Gamboa, Josh Baldwin and Martin Smith, among others.

Red Rocks Worship

Tyler Roberts, Kory Miller, Kendra Benay, Sidney Bakken and Jake Piland serve as the forerunners of Red Rocks Worship. The Colorado-based collective, rooted in Denver’s Red Rocks Church, has delivered recent anthems that have resonated with listeners far beyond the four walls of their house. “Good Plans,” “Never Gets Old” and “Echo Holy” are just a few of the impactful selections the worship outfit has released. In support of their latest live album, “The King Is Coming,” Red Rocks Worship is embarking on an expansive tour that will afford them the opportunity to introduce their original songs — new and old — to their growing fanbase in select cities across the country this fall.

River Valley AGES

River Valley AGES feels like a training ground for creatives. Helmed by primary AGES members Noah Melan, Lexy Topp, Bella Stebbins, Dévonjé Anderson and Blake Grainger, the group is a younger sister to River Valley Worship and a youthful musical expression of River Valley Church based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Known for shimmering pop-worship anthem “Sunrise,” the collective approaches their artistry with a DIY mentality, often filming their own music videos via iPhone and keeping their social media posts real and raw. The Gen Z outfit is less polished than most, and that’s part of their appeal. Intent on giving the next generation a place to cultivate and hone their craft, AGES offers a space to learn, make mistakes and plant seeds of faith.

ELEVATION RHYTHM

Like Elevation Worship, Elevation Rhythm is an extension of Charlotte, North Carolina’s Elevation Church. Just think of Elevation RHTYHM as the younger, funkier brother. With three projects under their belt, the collective continues to defy norms, cross genres and push boundaries with its colorful sonic textures and modern lyrical turns. Their latest megahit, “Goodbye Yesterday (feat. Gracie Binion),” catapulted the youthful group to new heights with its infectious refrain and frenetic beat. Under the direction of primary songwriter and producer Josh Holiday, Elevation RHYTHM isn’t afraid to take risks, as evidenced by its new, fearless album, “Victory Lap,” a 10-track collection that’s as eclectic as it is bold.

LO Worship

Inspired by Sadie Robertson Huff’s Live Original brand, LO Worship seeks to write and release music that speaks to this generation. The Louisiana-based group is made up of friends, who regularly lead worship at Huff’s annual LO Sister Conference, a two-day event aimed at connecting women via faith and community. Original songs such as “Open,” “Home” and “Mirror” have become anthems listeners have carried with them long past a one-time conference. Many of LO Worship’s projects include brief messages of encouragement from Huff. Their upcoming album, “Songs for the Anxious Heart: Live from the Hub,” releases Sept. 19, 2025, and features a notable collaboration with Aodhán King on “The Perfect Love of Jesus.”