In April, we brought you news that Renew Communities were planning to put out a second album. We are pleased to announce that their album is coming out this Friday.

The album, called Collect, is a follow-up to their album Reconciled recorded in 2018.

Reconciled was inspired by our love of worship and liturgy, with many songs coming directly from A New Zealand Prayer Book: He Karakia Mihinare O Aotearoa. The album is beloved by many, particularly the song He Tapu Te Ariki which has had 100,000 listens on Spotify and is sung all throughout churches in Aotearoa.

Collect speaks to several meanings: the sound of waters converging, the gathering of people together, and the Anglo-Catholic tradition of a prayer Collect. The four songs speak to what has happened as we've journeyed as four communities together over the past four years. These offerings speak to our experiences of deep joy and profound grief as we have offered our lives up to Jesus, to one another, and to those who are so often forgotten in our cities and neighbourhoods.

The funding for the album was crowd-sourced and about two hours after they hit their target they were in the studio, with over 20 musicians and vocalists, laying down the four tracks. These are beautiful songs which we think will be a taonga to many.

The first single, Your People, is already available on Spotify.

To learn more Renew Communities, visit www.renewcommunities.co.nz.