STEPHEN HURD
"Everywhere I go I do 'Amazing' and it's absolutely incredible what happens when I lift up that song," he says. "The room becomes illuminated with this energy, as people realize that God is not just faithful and true and strong. We struggle to find the words to describe Him, so we settle for 'amazing.' It's crazy watching people young and old, white and black, Baptist and Pentecostal, people from different denominations, grab this song and make it their worship moment."
The recording experience also served to reaffirm Stephen's unique calling.
"There were times when the Lord poured into me a mandate to give the worship leaders," he says. "It was like I was getting emails from God to pour into these lives, these hearts, these people."
And long before a song went to radio, and months before the record's release, Stephen began to experience a groundswell of feedback from that special time of praise.
"I've received emails and phone calls from people who had an 'I Got It' moment," he shares. "People who received the mandate to be more effective and responsible with what God has charged them to do in their local churches."
With Times of Refreshing, Stephen has taken the next step in his extraordinary journey as a leader in contemporary gospel. Stephen is also committed to expanding his ministry beyond music by helping people in places ravaged by poverty and disease.
"I work closely with World Vision, helping to ensure positive futures for those who are disenfranchised," he says. "I want to help children who are orphans because of parents who have died from disease, AIDS in particular. I want to aid those children who themselves have been born with AIDS. I'm committed to helping people sponsor those children so they get a chance at having a great future and a healthy life."
Yet Stephen believes that impacting the world for Christ can begin right in the local church. And as he continues to sow into the lives of those who lead, he knows that global change will follow.
"My hope is that worship leaders will discover that it's not just about singing well or sounding good," he says. "They should strive to become students of the Word, master their gift for transforming their environment, and crystallize what they hear from God.
"When we gathered those people in the hall, we planted a foundation seed for opportunities to help men and women around the globe experience God in a fresh way. And I think that's what we created."
