Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan Peacock.
Hi Dylan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I met my wife, Larisa, in October of 2014. We were both 18 at the time, and she had begun to volunteer on the worship team at First Methodist Mansfield. I, too, eventually was helping out on the worship team not too long after we met at various worship services each weekend. As our relationship progressed and we continued to help serve at our church, we were eventually offered a Part-time position, which then soon enough turned to a Full-Time position. After we got married in 2017, we had moved into Co-Director of Worship roles at the church at the brisk age of 21. We had learned a lot over the years leading up to this, but we still felt wildly inexperienced for the job. Nonetheless, we had an incredibly supportive team around us that helped us gain our footing and lead the ministry we had been tasked with leading.
Fast forward a few years to 2021-22, we were beginning to start back up in-person worship services following the Covid-19 pandemic. We began to feel the desire to record some original songs that we had been writing for our church revolving around a sermon season we called “Real Christianity.” As we began to get more of a sense what this would exactly look like, we eventually landed on the idea of doing a live album recording in our sanctuary with our congregation. So, on August 19, 2022, that is exactly what we did. In mine and Larisa’s mind, this was more of an evening of worship than a live recording. But regardless, we were planning to make a live album out of it. After our recording date and many months of post-production (big shoutout to our post-producer Andrew Hermonat, who serves on our AV team), we finally had an album to release. The album’s title, “Becoming (Live),” stemmed from the 3-part Real Christianity season our church went through on becoming a Christian, being a Christian, and remaining a Christian.
We are incredibly fortunate for the support we had received from our staff and congregation to do this live recording and produce an album out of it. It truly is an expression of what our church was experiencing during that time and our response of worship to it.
The best part about this album is how much it has influenced my kids. They know Psalm 100 by heart in sole part because of it being the 2nd track on our album, demanding to listen to it every time we get in the car. For us and our church, the album serves as a reminder of what we went through and learned as a church family in 2022 and celebrating God’s faithfulness through it all.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has most certainly been a pretty bumpy road. When we accepted the position as Co-Directors at our church, it was a time of immense transition and turnover. As 2 freshly married kids, we really didn’t have the chops to handle the turmoil we found ourselves in. Thankfully, we had a handful of incredible volunteers and staff that were quick to help us lead and learn as we went, giving us the time we needed to mature in that role.
The Covid-19 pandemic also caused its fair share problems, just as the rest of the world experienced. The biggest one being unable to meet in person for worship and pivoting to a viable solution to share in a time of worship with our church when we needed it most. Our Senior Pastor, David Alexander, was instrumental in leading our church family through that incredibly difficult time, making hard decisions that no one should have to make. He exhibited love, patience, and faithfulness to our entire church family in a time when no one knew what to do.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the Director of Contemporary Worship Arts at First Methodist Mansfield. Responsibilities of mine include leading weekly contemporary worship services, coordinating/planning songs, volunteers, and order of worship for services, as well as working together with our AV team to accomplish everything we need to do on a weekly basis for our church.
As a part of my job and really my own personal desire, I write original songs. Majority of my songs are written specifically out of and to our church. Whether it is a sermon season or a personal season I am going through; I try to formulate all of it into a song that our congregation can sing together.
I am very proud of our church, our ministry, and the live album we recorded. Each day, we seek to make and mature disciples of Jesus that love God, love others, and serve the world. No matter what we do or how we do it, that is our mission. I believe that we have pursued faithfulness in that mission that last decade my wife and I have served at this church.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future could be seen as pretty bland to most. I plan on leading my local church through context of the ministry I am in charge of. I plan on writing original songs out of my love for God and his church. Who knows what albums or live recordings will come out of that. I plan on leading and loving my wife and 3 beautiful kids. If I can be found faithful in those things, then that is good enough for me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/dylanandlarisa
- Facebook: facebook.com/dylanandlarisa
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@dylanlarisapeacock
- Other: linktr.ee/dylanandlarisa
Image Credits
Eden Mitchell
