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Popular Christian artist Tauren Wells and his wife are sharing more about the church plant they are starting in the new year, and the confirmation they received for it nearly a decade after beginning to dream about it.
In a video posted to the church's website, Tauren describes how he's understood since Bible college that the calling on his life was about more than just music.
"I was practicing piano and a professor came into my school and said, 'Tauren, are you called to preach?' I said, 'Yes, Sir, I think I am.' He said, 'Don't get too wrapped up in the music.' I now understand that the full assignment has not been songwriting and performing; the rest of the essay is still yet to be written."
The nine-time Grammy-nominated artist describes a moment a decade ago when God first planted a seed in his heart for church planting while reading Scripture.
"There's a moment where I saw the verse in Revelation 2:17 that said 'To the one who overcomes, I will give a white stone with the name engraved on it that only they know,' and that word 'white stone' lept off the page and it was when I was really dreaming about this.
He says about seven years ago he had started to list possible cities to plant a church in. He and his wife Lorna then travelled to Austin, Tex. to visit a cousin.
"We were driving up to where our family vacations and we crossed Whitestone Blvd. and we were in the car with her cousin Clayton and we were driving past this rock quarry and he pointed to the rock quarry and he said that's where they dig out all of the Texas limestone. And that limestone is called white stone, he said. Georgetown is built on a white. Austin is built on white stone. Liberty Hill is built on white stone ... We believe that your life is built on a white stone."
The white stone of the region was like a green light for the couple. In April of this year, they announced the Church at Whitestone will launch in January of 2024.
For fans of his music, Tauren says he will continue to pursue his music ministry as well.
"I'd die if I didn't do the music," he recently told Christian Headlines. "I'd shrivel up into nothing."
"Our heart for Church of Whitestone is simple church," Lorna says in the video. "And that doesn't mean that it won't be done with excellence because that's also in our heart. But we want simple things to allow space for God to move and God's presence to be there in a real way."
Tauren will be busy just before the launch of the church, with a Christmas tour through the U.S.A. planned for this December.