I have Jesus,
and I can’t help but sing of Him.
My cover of the Rich Mullins classic, recorded to celebrate his birthday on October 21, 2025.
WATCH ON YOUTUBE ↗My cover of “Charlie,” the almost-lost original song by Rich Mullins.
Read Joe Cook’s “The Search for Charlie: The ‘Lost’ Rich Mullins Song” ↗
THE FULL-LENGTH ALBUMSongs about surrendering to Jesus and receiving His grace, inspired by Rich Mullins. Hammered dulcimer, piano ballads, a Biblical narrative, and a church hoedown—all part of the story.
Thanks for listening! If you’d like a physical copy of Growing Young, you can order vinyl or CD below.
Book me to lead worship, preach, share my music, or share songs by Rich Mullins.
BOOKING INQUIRIES ↗I wanted to write songs that expressed the gut-wrenching emotion of God’s breaking and remaking of my heart. For years, fear and anxiety kept me running from Him. These songs tell the story of His redemption in my life—and my continuing struggle to surrender fully and daily to Jesus.
— HalFor years, I wondered whether I was ignoring a call God had for me. I chose to be a worship leader, but held on to hurts, habits, and hang-ups while in ministry. As He began breaking and remaking my heart, one of the first things I felt I needed to do was sing the songs of my heart and write my story in my songs.
These days, I want to surrender daily to Jesus and try to follow Him as best I can.
My parents were from Indiana, but I was born and raised in Minnesota. They were Quakers; we attended a Presbyterian church, and I accepted Jesus at twelve on a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters.
Music has always been part of my life: violin at five, piano at seven, and guitar in college. I studied commercial music at Belmont University before transferring to Bethel, where I met Martha. After graduation, we moved to Sioux Falls, where I earned my Master of Arts in Bible and Theology. I’ve spent more than twenty years leading worship, many as a full-time worship pastor.
I used to say, “I am all about worship,” when I was really talking about the music we call worship. Romans 12:1 calls us to offer our whole lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
I want to be known more for my love for Jesus than for any music I sing or write. I am convinced that God’s love language is obedience. Worship is love. Love is obedience. Obedience is worship.
A look back at where my recorded music began.
