Fellowship Valley Muisc
Who Are We
Every member of the team is a volunteer donating their skills, talents and time to further the project.
Pastor Dr Bob Strachan
Pastor of Jedburgh Baptist Church,
Project director, Song writer, producer, vocals, guitars (Acoustic, 12 string, Telecaster, archtop electric), banjo, mandolin, resonator/dobro, tin whistle Bob's song writing page Listen to the Good News With Dr Bob radio show, ever week at 8am Eastern on 3WC. |
Stan Bagg
Recording and production Engineer, guitars (acoustic, electric, bass), electronic instruments
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Bobbi Strachan
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How it all started
The concept of Fellowship Valley started in 2017 when we realised we need to train more people for the ministry but did not have any where for them to stay whilst studying. It has varied in ideas, but the concept has remained. Buy land, build and train.
We had considered selling our house to start with so that we could buy land, build a cabin and slowly go from there but we needed capital because we couldn't sell our house with no where to live.
When lockdown hit, I began doing a few extra projects such as art but after a few days, although I did enjoy it, I didn't feel it was what I was supposed to be doing. I went back to song writing and wrote "The Church House Is Empty", this got quite a bit of attention and even as a rough recording, got on the radio. I then joined a Christian Song Writing Group and joined a few Zoom calls at 1am and 2am our time. There I met other song writers that were there for the glory of God. I met a fellow named Stephen Duncan, who listed all his credentials and people that he'd worked with. I felt a bit embarrassed because I'd never heard of most of them, but then he said back in the day, he sold merch for Don Williams and that got my attention! ha! He was offering song writing coaching. I was interested. I searched around and spoke to some other coaches but none of them felt right. I signed up with Stephen and the Worship Coalition. He listened to what I had already written and told me, I had a gift, but that gift needed some refinement. Throughout the next 9 months we met twice a month and discussed many areas of song writing, the music business, and more often than not, Scripture. I had pretty much given up on singing my own songs so turned to pitching my new songs and my rewritten and improved songs. My main goal was writing for our church, and as long as it fulfilled the purpose for Sunday Morning, then I had done my job. If it got cut, that's just gravy. There was lots of positive feedback from other songwriters and artists but; mainly due to lockdowns, restrictions, and uncertainties; few were working with or cutting outside their circle.
Stephen suggested I turn back to recording and release my own EP but with a difference. 6 songs with a purpose. I realised that I had two main themes through the new songs, 1 - Who God is, and 2 -What our response should be. I didn't have 6 of each song so some new writing had to be done. Even a rewrite of an old song. One purpose of the EP is to generate interest and funds for the ministry project but the purpose of all the songs is to glorify Jesus and share Who He is and what He can do!
Stephen helped me finalise all the lyrics and melodies for the songs for this EP. It was his idea to write a song called "I Choose You" which is #5 on the record. In Dec 2020, production engineer, Stan Bagg came up to record with me. After he went home we continued working remotely, sometimes rerecording things that just weren't right in spirit. They sounded ok, but that's not what we are after. We wanted to bless and let the Holy Spirit of God work through these songs, sure they could be absolutely note perfect but focusing on that meant not always letting the Spirit flow. So my biggest thanks to Stephen and Stan for their influence and help on this record.
I hope you will be blessed by this project
Many Blessings
Pastor Bob Strachan
Click here to down load our EP "All Good Things"
The concept of Fellowship Valley started in 2017 when we realised we need to train more people for the ministry but did not have any where for them to stay whilst studying. It has varied in ideas, but the concept has remained. Buy land, build and train.
We had considered selling our house to start with so that we could buy land, build a cabin and slowly go from there but we needed capital because we couldn't sell our house with no where to live.
When lockdown hit, I began doing a few extra projects such as art but after a few days, although I did enjoy it, I didn't feel it was what I was supposed to be doing. I went back to song writing and wrote "The Church House Is Empty", this got quite a bit of attention and even as a rough recording, got on the radio. I then joined a Christian Song Writing Group and joined a few Zoom calls at 1am and 2am our time. There I met other song writers that were there for the glory of God. I met a fellow named Stephen Duncan, who listed all his credentials and people that he'd worked with. I felt a bit embarrassed because I'd never heard of most of them, but then he said back in the day, he sold merch for Don Williams and that got my attention! ha! He was offering song writing coaching. I was interested. I searched around and spoke to some other coaches but none of them felt right. I signed up with Stephen and the Worship Coalition. He listened to what I had already written and told me, I had a gift, but that gift needed some refinement. Throughout the next 9 months we met twice a month and discussed many areas of song writing, the music business, and more often than not, Scripture. I had pretty much given up on singing my own songs so turned to pitching my new songs and my rewritten and improved songs. My main goal was writing for our church, and as long as it fulfilled the purpose for Sunday Morning, then I had done my job. If it got cut, that's just gravy. There was lots of positive feedback from other songwriters and artists but; mainly due to lockdowns, restrictions, and uncertainties; few were working with or cutting outside their circle.
Stephen suggested I turn back to recording and release my own EP but with a difference. 6 songs with a purpose. I realised that I had two main themes through the new songs, 1 - Who God is, and 2 -What our response should be. I didn't have 6 of each song so some new writing had to be done. Even a rewrite of an old song. One purpose of the EP is to generate interest and funds for the ministry project but the purpose of all the songs is to glorify Jesus and share Who He is and what He can do!
Stephen helped me finalise all the lyrics and melodies for the songs for this EP. It was his idea to write a song called "I Choose You" which is #5 on the record. In Dec 2020, production engineer, Stan Bagg came up to record with me. After he went home we continued working remotely, sometimes rerecording things that just weren't right in spirit. They sounded ok, but that's not what we are after. We wanted to bless and let the Holy Spirit of God work through these songs, sure they could be absolutely note perfect but focusing on that meant not always letting the Spirit flow. So my biggest thanks to Stephen and Stan for their influence and help on this record.
I hope you will be blessed by this project
Many Blessings
Pastor Bob Strachan
Click here to down load our EP "All Good Things"
All Good Things Preview
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01 All Good Things
04 He's Nothing
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02 What Kinda Name is That
05 I Choose You
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03 Right On Time
06 You Are Holy
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Song Writing Coaching
If you are a Christian songwriter, worship leader or musician.
Please check out Stephen Duncan's ministry at the Worship Coalition
