He’s in the car. He’s on a plane. He’s in the studio. He’s in the backyard. And on Sunday mornings, you’ll almost always find him on stage at church, with a guitar in hand. But wherever he’s at, Paul Baloche is a man who simply lives to serve. This Lindell, Texas-based worship pastor’s schedule is full, but his heart is always open to sharing how God is at work through worship. We caught up with Paul, just a few days before the April 4th release of his new project, A Greater Song, to get the details on what the critics are already hailing as one of the finest worship records this year. But in the end, we got even more than expected…10 questions and— as is custom for this teacher/mentor— one more to grow on.

Songs4Worship.com:When you set out to do a new record, did you have specific objectives in mind? Were you looking to do something out of the ordinary or simply something more reflective of Sunday in Lindale?

Paul Baloche: The only specifics in my mind were that there was no reason to do another recording unless I had a batch of new songs that I really believed in. The target is to come up with great songs that will serve the church well. Songs that invite believers into the presence of God through the mysterious combination of the right words with the right music. I love the chase. Trying to catch the elusive song idea that has the potential to inspire honest worship.

Listen to clips from A Greater Song at Songs4Worship.com

S4W.com:One of the things I love about your new project is the overwhelming sense of collaboration in its creation and the sense of community in the recording. The Bible talks about ‘where two or three are gathered in my name…’ What has this experience taught you about the power of collaboration?

Baloche: I love the process of writing with someone else. I love the give and take relational aspect. The fellowship, the coffee, the Word, the conversations, the prayers, the worship, the stumbling upon an idea that rings true, the chasing of that idea to its completion. It’s a very satisfying process usually. Very sports-like, like a team accomplishing it’s goal.

S4W.com: What about the power of community, specifically? Can you talk to me a bit about your community at church, what it looks like, how it impacts your life, what’s great about having a tight-knit community?

Baloche: Community is reality. Without real community we are all alone, and God said to Adam, “It is not good for man to be alone.” My church is an anchor in my life. It’s a constant. Over the past 15 years we’ve gone through all the usual church tangents and splits, etc., but we always felt like it was important to stay with a core group of families and stick it out through thick and thin. Our families have grown up together through weddings, births, funerals, divorces, spiritual highs, and personal failures. It’s the stuff of life and God is in the middle.