Welcome to
Journey of 1000 songs
416 Worship Factory: A Story of Faith and Music
My name is Pastor Justice and I started the journey of 1000 songs. I founded 416 Worship Factory which is a music collective based out of Toronto, Canada. It is platform where uplifting praise, worship, and inspirational songs are written and produced. I am on a journey of writing, producing and releasing 1,000 songs in 5 years, and I want to share with you how it all started and how well it is going.
The Genesis of the project
It all started with dissatisfaction. I am a music lover and a follower of Christ, but I felt that the music I was hearing in our praise and worship services was not reflecting the message of the gospel. The music I was hearing and being sung in churches seemed more based on the feelings and emotions of the artists, writers and singers, rather than the truth and power of God’s word. I was starting to see this same posture being displayed in the people I interacted with as a leader in the church, where our feelings and emotions began to take precedence over the Word of God in our lives. I wanted to hear music that was Christ-centered. Music that would inspire me and others to live for Him and share His love. I prayed about it, and I felt the Holy Spirit challenging me. “What are you going to do about it?”, He asked me. I realized that I couldn’t just complain or criticize the writers and artists. I had to do something. I had to use the gifts and talents that God had given me to create music that would reflect His Word to His children. I had some experience in writing songs. A few years prior, I had worked on a project called Gospel’s Dynamic Duets in Canada where I helped to write a couple of songs for the final project. It was a Christian version of any main stream talent show, where we traveled across the country to find talented singers who could collaborate on duets. We had shows in Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver. In December 2019, just before the lock down, I decided to start writing songs again. I thought maybe I could write 12 songs a year, but the Holy Spirit had bigger plans for me. He impressed upon me to write, produce and release 1,000 songs. I had six years to finish this assignment. That’s right, 1,000 songs.
The Lord has put a penchant for large projects inside of me and has given me the capacity to think big and execute big. I was still shocked and a little nervous at the number of songs on the requisition. How could I pull this off? How could I come up with so many ideas and melodies and lyrics? How could I find the time and resources to record and produce them? How could I find the people who would sing the songs and listen to them once completed? I needed confirmation. I needed guidance. I needed help.I called Patricia Shirley, one of the best vocalists in Toronto’s gospel scene. She is also a Pastor and a woman of God whom I respect. She agreed to do the vocal coordination for our live-recording even though she was on vacation when I initially reached out to her and I had not yet written the songs for the project. This made me believe without a doubt that God wanted me to go in this direction. I was now confident that the project would be completed. I prayed again after my convictions to had been strengthened and received word from the Holy Spirit that the big picture for the music is actually 3,000 in 12 years.
What makes us unique?
Our music is unique because we base our songs solely on the scriptures. We want to edify our listeners with the word of God thus, the Bible is the foundation for every song we write and produce. Listen to any song in our catalogue and I can tell you the Bible verse it was based on.
We are also diverse in our backgrounds and cultures. Besides working with team members from Canada and in Canada, we have worked with artists and musicians in Nigeria, Ghana, Trinidad, Venezuela, United States, Italy and UK among others and we are always looking to work with artist from around the Globe
Notable challenges
The financial requirement was one of the biggest challenges I faced when I started this journey. Producing music is expensive, and I had to invest a lot of my personal funds and resources into purchasing equipment, renting studios, remunerating musicians, sound engineers, and distributing the songs.
I also had to balance my time between my pastoral duties, my family responsibilities, and my musical projects. There were times when it can feel that it is a lot, but I am always encouraged by the scriptures I am writing from. God always comes through for me. He has sent people who believed in the vision and have supported.
Another challenge I faced was finding the right people to help me with the various aspects of these projects. Producing 1,000 songs is not something that can be completed in a vacuum. I have worked with teams of creative and passionate people who share my vision and values. God has been faithful in sending me such people along the way. Some are friends and acquaintances. Some of them are professionals who offered their services at discounted rates or even for free. Others are volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to help me with administrative or technical tasks. Together, we form the 416 Worship Factory family, and we work together to produce quality music that honors God and edifies His people.
Forging Ahead
I am very proud of the work that has already been completed. As of December 2022, The 1000 songs have been written. The music reflects various genres and styles showcasing diversity and creativity. The songs have been played on radio stations, streaming platforms, and social media platforms all over the world.
We have received testimonies from listeners who have been inspired, ministered to, and impacted by our songs. I know that this is just the beginning of great things and that I will continue to trust the Holy Spirit every step of the way.