Julie Anne Vargas, Executive Director of Village Hymns
I grew up as a 4th generation missionary kid in Haiti when I was very young and then had the experience of being a pastor’s kid when my dad went into worship ministry. Well aware of the deep struggles and unique experiences of ministry, my passion is to see other worship leaders thrive in their personal lives as well as in their vocations. I have been a worship leader and songwriter for over 15 years and have a heart for the local church. Over the years I’ve seen how devotional songwriting has been in my life and how new songs can bless the local church. Songs tell the stories of both individuals and communities and serve as powerful milestones of God’s faithfulness. In 2019 I left my calling as a full-time worship leader to lead Village Hymns. I love to see worship leaders built up for the work of ministry and experience the joy of songwriting. I am happily married to my Cuban-American husband Erick for over seven years and as we have walked through different seasons of life, God has always given us songs to sing on the journey. The Vargas Family’s favorite phrase is “love awakens love in return.” We desire to experience the love of God as a catalyst for love and service to others. jvargas@villagehymns.com
Adam Pizarro, Worship Director at Riverside Church
I grew up a Pastor’s kid so I was basically raised in a pew. My earliest childhood memories were us a family of 8, singing in church together. Church Music has always held a special place in my heart. My first glimpse of the Gospel was in singing “Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus.” Years ago my friend and songwriting mentor Josh Bramos came to me with this vision of Village Hymns. He had a vision to see local worship leaders/pastors writing for their local church. It wasn’t hard to connect Josh’s passion with the mission of Pastors: “equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.” Village Hymns has been a catalyst for me in writing songs for the local church and has impacted not only my church but many many more in our county.
adamp@954church.com
Josh Bramos, Worship Pastor at City Rev Church
I have been a songwriter for the past 15 years. My dream is to encourage worship leaders to write for the local church. Village Hymns was birthed from that idea. I have been writing songs for the church for many years with the hopes of heart and mind transformation for the Church. I love golf. I love the solitude, the competitiveness, and that no two shots are the same. I also love writing. I write every week multiple times and usually when the kids go to bed. I believe that God desires worship leaders to write for his church. He writes His Gospel on the hearts of men and women in many ways. I believe an important tool for His work is songwriting and I believe scripture backs this up. People publicly declare things with their mouths in front of God and man when they sing. By them doing that they are accountable for their words. I say this because this is a great way to educate and teach the truths of God’s word through the songs we write. joshbramos@cityrev.org
