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Biography (courtesy of BEC Records)

Our lives aren’t one big story. They’re an ongoing succession of little stories that, when taken together, make us who we are. Some of those stories are of hurt, others of healing. Some are monumental; others barely register as worth remembering. In Jeremy Camp’s case, much of his story in recent years centered around the loss of his young wife to cancer just months into their marriage and the sustaining grace of God. It inspired his music and deepened his faith. More than a year after its release, Stay, the album born out of that loss, continues to resonate with music fans young and old as Camp’s story touches the hearts of all who hear it.

But as Camp readies for Carried Me: The Worship Project, releasing February 10, 2004, the focus is shifted even more directly to the faith that continues to carry Camp through life’s highs and lows. From declarations of belief in God to celebrations of His grace and mercy, the songs found on Carried Me represent the time-tested faith of someone who has walked through the fire and come out on the other side still praising God.

While Camp continues to pay tribute to his past, he is also looking to the future. With a new fiancé who shares his love of music, a ministry that is growing by leaps and bounds, and preparing for his sophomore project to release in the fall of 2004, Camp currently has much to be thankful for. “God’s doing a lot of restoration in my heart and in my life,” Camp admits. “When I talk about what I’ve been through, I always say God has been so faithful in my life, but I almost feel like with all these amazing blessings, it’s a completion of God’s faithfulness. It’s almost like He’s saying, ‘See? I’ve healed your heart.’”

The job wasn’t God’s alone, though. Camp admits there was work he had to do as well. The first task was to let go of some of his expectations for where God would take his music and ministry. “Spiritually, I had all these ideas of what was going to happen. Finally, I had to lay them down and say, ‘Okay Lord, you’re going to do what you want in my life.’ And that’s when things began taking off.”

In Camp’s case, the term “taking off” couldn’t be more appropriate. He’s spent more time on the road in 2003 than he has in his adopted hometown of San Diego, Calif. (he will have played 200 shows by year’s end). He also has fans clamoring for the DVD that will release around the same time as Carried Me. In addition to music videos and messages straight from Camp’s mouth, it will provide a glimpse into how the guys spend their time off stage with fun footage that takes you behind the scenes.

Camp’s career is going so well that in fall 2003 he became a headliner, almost unheard of for a debut artist, embarking on the “Stay” tour with opening act Telecast. That feat will be followed up by a spring 2004 worship tour with A-list acts Newsboys and Rebecca St. James, allowing him to truly showcase the songs from Carried Me. Fans of Camp’s previous work may be wondering just what makes this a worship album, though. After all, how could the music of this talented artist with a penchant for rock and a heart for praise possibly be more worshipful? The new album’s name actually has more to do with the origin of the songs and their corporate nature than the state of the heart of the one who’s singing them.

Carried Me is a project that portrays what Camp & Co. have always done in their live shows, which explains why fans have been asking for just such a disc for years. And they won’t be disappointed with this thoughtful collection of original songs, several written by Camp, and reworked standards. While each song may not come directly from his own pen, they have all captured his heart.

“The songs are ones that have meant so much to me in my life. Each of them has a special place in my heart because I remember singing them at different times, good times and hard times,” Camp explains. Those songs include album opener “Trust in You,” an older song that many artists might have easily passed over. But Camp connected to its powerful message and decided to add his own flavor to it, giving it a welcome rock infused update.

Meanwhile, “Revive Me,” which was penned by Camp, has already been chosen by Worship Leader for their “Song Discovery” program which collects the most promising new worship tunes and puts them on a CD to send out to working worship leaders looking for fresh music for their congregations. And it’s a song that’s very personal to Camp. Inspired by Psalm 119, it’s something he first sang as he sat next to his dying wife’s hospital bed.

While the songs come from a variety of sources, Camp’s delivery neatly ties them all together. “I’m a very passionate, outgoing person, so when I’m singing I love to belt it out. That’s part of my expression.” That attitude carries over to his take on worship. “When I do a worship song,” he explains, “I want to make it very full to compliment my voice...and my heart. This is me—boom! —worshipping God.”

For those who like their worship a little more low-key, Camp delivers that as well. But he knows what really matters is the heart behind the music. “If you’re really, truly worshipping God and they see your heart and they know your life, then people can respond to a heavy song because they can see it’s the passion behind the song that matters. If it glorifies God, people are going to pick that up, no matter the style.”

And Camp knows that at the end of the day, it’s not the music that matters most anyway. It’s really just a means to a spiritual end.

“We’ve played in almost every state and I’ve been able to share the Gospel with people from different walks of life and see them touched by my testimony and what God has done. When you see people coming forward and accepting Christ, you realize this is what it’s all about. I love singing and playing, but if I’m not sharing about Jesus, then I know I’m playing in vain.”