Highland Park Writers Group creates second CD

COLUMBUS -- The Highland Park Writers Group has produced its second religious musical CD titled “Oh, What a Day.”

Songs from the new collection on the recently released CD will be highlighted during Sunday’s worship services at Highland Park Evangelical Free Church, 4115 38th St.

Worship Pastor Travis Purkerson and Sue Christensen, staff music writer at Highland Park, and Lisa Qualsett, of Fremont, make up the writers group. The group describes the two-CD collection they’ve created as an eclectic collection of God-centered music that includes a wide range of music genres.

The group released its first CD, “Still Amazed,” in the summer of 2007. In recent weeks the song, titled “Word of God,” from that CD has been picked up by Lifeway Christian Resources and will soon be available through life

wayworship.com.

“Ask any of us if we thought we’d be doing this, three years ago, and I think it’s safe to say we’d all tell you it was very

unlikely,” Purkerson said. “We really got our start with the encouragement of our former pastor Mike Neely.”

The group writes lyrics on topical themes from their own life experiences, their love for and studies of the Bible and occasionally pieces at the pastor’s request. Their ultimate goal is to get together on a weekly basis.

Christensen said writing for the annual Christmas program begins in the summer. She said the group usually writes six or seven songs for the annual holiday program.

“The important thing about this music is that people who hear it will hear the truth,” Christensen said. “The messages are all God-centered. There are songs in many different styles, but the message in each one has a Christian focus.”

Qualsett said the group’s ideas for their songs come from the life lessons they are learning and living through, Bible studies and a lot of reading, study and talking with other people.

Christensen said sometimes the songs just come and they don’t know why finishing a particular song seems to become so urgent.

“Then later or as we’re finishing it up, the pastor will come in and say ‘Hey I need a song about unity,’” Christensen said. “Then we just look at each other because that’s exactly what we’ve been working on. Well, that’s just God at work, there’s no other explanation.”

Each of the three began writing songs in different areas of the country at different times in their lives but, they said, “three years ago God brought us all together in the cornfields in Nebraska.”

Purkerson, who plays piano and guitar said he’s been interested in writing songs for a long time.

“I write songs, but with Sue and Lisa it’s a real craft,” he said. “The three of us coming together has surely enhanced my abilities as a song writer.”

He said the three, work together on lyrics and the music. Part of what he brings to the work as the lyrics are being developed is to ask, “What do these lyrics sound like? How will it go?”

Qualsett said it is a rare thing for creativity to be supported in the way it is at Highland Park Evangelical.

“It is such a unique thing that creativity is so valued here by everyone from the top down,” Qualsett said. “It’s such a great gift that’s been given to us.”

Both CDs will be on sale at the church Sunday, they are also available downtown at Crackers to Caviar and at both Latte Lizard locations on U.S. Highway 30.

Purkerson said all the proceeds from the sale of the CD’s will go toward defraying the cost of production. He hopes that the sale of CDs will fully support the groups efforts and production of any future CDs.

For those who purchase the CDs through the church in the month of December, a special “buy one -- give one free” sale will make it easier to give the music to a loved one or friend for Christmas.

Purkerson said the two CDs are also being marketed online. “Still Amazed” is available at CD Baby.com, www.apple.com/itunes and 12 other digital outlets. The new CD will be marketed in a similar fashion in the next few months.