New music from Uniting Creative
The vibrant new worship album Witness is a call to attentive presence, authentic voice and embodied action
July 18, 2025
Uniting Creative in the Synod of NSW/ACT has released its highly anticipated new worship album Witness – a bold, soul-stirring collection of original songs that calls the Church into deeper relationship with Jesus, as well as justice and community. More than just an album, Witness is a movement. It’s an invitation to slow down, speak truth and live with courage in a world yearning for transformation.
The album was born out of key song-writing sessions, which included powerful collaborations with artists from across Australia and even the US, with New York musician and pastor David Gungor lending a hand. Between March and April this year, the Uniting Creative team gathered at Church St Studios to bring this vision to life, weaving together 14 new worship songs that reflect themes of hope, struggle, beauty and divine presence.
“This project is deeply personal,” shares Tash Holmes, creative lead at Uniting Creative. “Everywhere I went, butterflies kept showing up – in art, on clothing, everywhere! I began to see them as more than symbols of change. They were reminders to look for the beauty and the sacred, even in dark or uncertain places.”
That metaphor of the butterfly – transformation through struggle – became central to the album’s message. Tash reflects on the cocoon as a place where the old self is undone in the dark, a space of waiting and vulnerability. “It’s okay to stay. It’s okay to not rush through pain. The cocoon is not the absence of life. It’s where life is being remade. To witness then is first to be with – in the shadow, in the waiting – and only then, to emerge and tell the story. Or in our case, to sing it!”
The album’s themes are woven through three guiding movements: attentive presence, authentic voice and embodied action. These songs encourage us to slow down and notice, to raise our voices for truth and justice, and to live out love through action. From the beautifully crafted Known by Love – inspired by Rev Charissa Suli’s presidential installation – to the rousing anthem All to Rise, the music calls people into a shared chorus of hope and renewal.
“What I witness in this community moves me to my core,” says Tash. “This is what it looks like when the gospel breathes – when it sings. Witness isn’t passive. It’s creative, it’s participatory, it’s collective. And it’s calling us all to rise – together.”
The new album is accompanied by a suite of resources, music videos and a downloadable songbook to equip churches and creative leaders. Live launch events are also underway, offering communities the chance to experience Witness live.
Witness is available to enjoy wherever you get your music. Explore the full album, resources and launch events by clicking the button below.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
More news from the Assembly
Refugee Week 2026: A million stories, one shared humanity
From 14–20 June, churches, community groups and organisations across Australia will mark Refugee Week 2026, an opportunity to celebrate the courage, resilience and contributions of people who have sought safety and a new beginning in this country. This year’s theme, “A Million Stories”, marks a significant milestone: since…
Equitable energy upgrades: caring for people, caring for creation
Equitable energy upgrades:caring for people, caring for creation An environmental initiative, led by Armidale Uniting Church, is helping vulnerable households access the benefits of the clean energy transition, combining practical support, energy justice and community care By Trevor Brown and Rev Simon Hansford, Armidale Uniting Church In Armidale, on Anaiwan Country on the Northern…
Church members recognised in King's Birthday 2026 honours
King’s Birthday Honours 2026 The UCA congratulates those members of our Church who have been recognised for their outstanding service to the communityThe Uniting Church in Australia warmly congratulates all members of our Church community who have been recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours List. From insightful authors and compassionate community carers to enlightening…
Faithful advocacy at the heart of first Climate Action Roundtable
Faithful advocacy at the Heart of Climate Action Roundtable The Uniting Church’s first Climate Action Roundtable of the year encouraged participants to engage in climate justice through informed, practical and collective actionSubscribe to our newsletterIf you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered…
Walking Together in Faith and Hope: UCA renews Tuvalu Partnership
Walking Together in Faith and Hope The Uniting Church in Australia has renewed its partnership with the Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu (EKT) this week, reaffirming a shared commitment to faith, solidarity and climate justice as Tuvalu faces an increasingly uncertain future.As rising seas continue to threaten the future of Tuvalu, the Uniting Church in Australia has…
Tending the Soul
Tending the SoulQueensland Ministry Agents Retreat with President Rev. Charissa SuliBy President Rev Charissa SuliThis week, ministry agents from across Queensland gathered at the Queensland Synod All Presbyteries Ministry Agents Retreat on the Sunshine Coast with President Rev. Charissa Suli. Leaders came together carrying the realities of ministry across diverse communities, held together by a shared call to serve and…
Uniting Church welcomes launch of TECS
Uniting Church welcomes launch of TECS By Paul WallbankThe Uniting Church in Australia participated in this week’s launch of SSI’s new Train, Engage, Connect and Support e-learning resource, to aid faith and community leaders in building confidence to recognising and responding to cases of family, domestic and sexual violence. Launched on Tuesday, 19 May by the Minister for Social Services, the Hon Tanya Plibersek, at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir Centre in Sydney’s Rosehill, the free online training program aims to equip leaders with the…
Gathered for the Generations
Gathered for the Generations Subscribe to our newsletterIf you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.By Rev. Sandy BrodineVicTas Younger Generation Education and Strategy CoordinatorLast week, children, families, youth, and young adult workers from across the Uniting Church came together in…






