Canyon Worship Live provides soothing setting for three-time performer

Photos by Ralph Freso

Students listened to a sneak peek of the Canyon Worship 2025 album at a live concert Thursday night at Grand Canyon University's Quad.

And the setting could not have been more refreshing for GCU graduate Kyleigh Almich, who performed “Treasure” with Shailen Stewart one month after her mother passed away.

“These were the first people I called,” Almich said of her worship arts family after traveling from Colorado to perform at Canyon Worship Live, the culminating event of the Day of Giving. “When I came back, it was, ‘My goodness. Do you want to talk?’ I said, ‘We can. But I want to be here for you.’

“Just to have that family outside of your initial personal family, these people will be with me forever. I will grow with them. I’ll be there for their big moments. They’ll be there for mine. When you walk into this program, you expect to be friends, but you don’t expect them to be lifelong people you will walk with. And when we’re all across the county or world, we will find a way. GCU is a meeting ground.”

“Treasure,” the third song listed on the 2025 album, is scheduled for release on Nov. 15. It also is the third time Almich will be on a Canyon Worship album. She performed “Heaven is Here” on the 2022 album and joined Jocelyn Russay and Stewart on “Down the River” and “My Surrender” as a soloist on the 2024 album.

“This is bittersweet for me,” Almich said. “This is the last one I’ll get to do. Looking back at my first one and looking at how I did (Thursday), this program not only teaches you so much, it secures who you are in the Lord and helps you become the person He has meant you to be.

“It’s interesting to see these people come up to you and say, ‘We miss you.’ For them, it’s been ages, but for me it feels like yesterday. It’s interesting how life gets away from us. But it’s moments like this that everything comes rushing back and you’re fine. And everything is right.”

The concert couldn’t have gone any better for first-year Worship Arts Director Moises Felipe, who celebrated his birthday by enjoying the nine songs performed with a smooth sound system and precision-like performance from the band accompanied by videos by each artist before their stints.

Felipe performed three songs at the first Canyon Worship Live concert in 2019 while with Love International, and he returned the favor by inviting Arcadia Worship to perform three songs.

“We are in a centralized location at GCU right now,” Felipe said. “The traffic is pretty awesome, so people are going to hear the experience of faith from our students. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Felipe marveled over the physical and emotional investment that artists have put into the program since its inception.

“There’s a weighty vibe, if you will, when it comes to the legacy of Canyon Worship Live,” Felipe said. “It’s cool because we have students who have already graduated, but we invited them back because they’re part of this project.

“This is all about the students, the legacy that we’ve seen develop through the years within the worship arts program, and how these students are carrying that is beautiful.”

In addition to celebrating his birthday, Felipe was happy the concert was held at the same time as Day of Giving and that this was the first time people had an opportunity to listen to the album in its entirety live.

Chloe Christine admitted to some jitters despite her song, “Take Care of Us,” already being released and having to perform in front of several family members and friends.

“I felt a little bit of pressure because this was the first time playing the song live, but it’s pretty good,” said Christine, a worship arts major with an emphasis on worship ministry who leads worship at Lincoln Heights Christian Church. “This is super meaningful.”

Blake Breitler said he worked on “All of You” for a year and was inspired after being “broken up” and built back up by Jesus.

“It feels so good to be here with the community and sing the songs live,” said Breitler, a senior worship arts major who vividly remembers making the 16-hour, 1,000-mile drive from Southern Oregon to attend GCU.

“Just the opportunity I’ve gotten to grow the musicality and my faith and people pouring into me, it’s been awesome,” Breitler said. “A great experience.”

Baraka Shekanena, whose song "I Can Do All Things" is on the 2025 album, graduated, moved to Michigan and could not attend.

Here is a list of Canyon Worship 2025 album songs and their release dates:

The singles will be distributed to all major platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and Prime Music.

GCU senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]

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