Worship Without Walls is so much more than just another true story. It’s the true account of one of the most rare walks of obedience and faith in action that only come along once in a blue moon. Well done, Rick.
Biography
RICK STOKES lives in a wild valley near the Dove River, in Dovedale, near Nelson, New Zealand. He has been a youth pastor, music director, and has worked for Radio Rhema as a music programmer, production engineer and announcer.
Rick started a Christian public praise and worship ministry in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, which ran for two decades, and impacted the city in many ways. He has now published Worship Without Walls, a journey through the epic decade of worship and evangelism in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square. He is working on his next book, Holy Ghost Stories. He and Sue are married with 7 children.
Rick has recorded and released four music CDs of his own songs… click on the links below to purchase:
Hidden Treasure Vol 2 (music album)
NZ$19.95
Why did I embark upon a project like this?
Over the years I needed a way to help my kids (and me!) learn Bible verses, and once I’d discovered that putting them into a song or rap really helped, I began working out songs for most of the useful verses we discovered together as a family.
Although I’ve tried to keep the verses as close to the King James Version of the Bible as possible for accuracy, I’ve occasionally had to modernize the language to make the songs more singable.
Why the title: Hidden Treasure?
I once heard a story about an old poverty-stricken widow woman who was being visited by a minister as she lay on her deathbed. He glanced up at the wall of the room and saw a piece of paper pinned there. He took it down and read it. A letter explained that the attached title deed to a valuable piece of property and the entire estate of a wealthy nobleman had been left to this woman. She had been sent this many years ago, and not being able to read, had just pinned it up on her bedroom wall. She had continued to live in poverty for the rest of her miserable life, totally unaware of what she’d been given.
In the same way, many of us go through life, totally unaware of the hidden treasure God has provided for each one of us. His written word, the Bible, is a supernatural book, full of miraculous provision, healing, salvation, deliverance, guidance and genuine enlightenment for these dark days. Just as the title deed hung unheeded on the widow’s wall, the Bible’s many treasures seem to be hidden in plain sight to most of the world’s population. I am hoping that these verses I’ve put to music will reveal some of this treasure to the children of all ages who hear and learn these songs.
Format: Audio CD | MP3 | Streaming
Publisher: Rick Stokes & Friends
Publication country: New Zealand
Hidden Treasure Vol 1 (music album)
NZ$19.95
Why did I embark upon a project like this?
Over the years I needed a way to help my kids (and me!) learn Bible verses, and once I’d discovered that putting them into a song or rap really helped, I began working out songs for most of the useful verses we discovered together as a family.
Although I’ve tried to keep the verses as close to the King James Version of the Bible as possible for accuracy, I’ve occasionally had to modernize the language to make the songs more singable.
Why the title: Hidden Treasure?
I once heard a story about an old poverty-stricken widow woman who was being visited by a minister as she lay on her deathbed. He glanced up at the wall of the room and saw a piece of paper pinned there. He took it down and read it. A letter explained that the attached title deed to a valuable piece of property and the entire estate of a wealthy nobleman had been left to this woman. She had been sent this many years ago, and not being able to read, had just pinned it up on her bedroom wall. She had continued to live in poverty for the rest of her miserable life, totally unaware of what she’d been given.
In the same way, many of us go through life, totally unaware of the hidden treasure God has provided for each one of us. His written word, the Bible, is a supernatural book, full of miraculous provision, healing, salvation, deliverance, guidance and genuine enlightenment for these dark days. Just as the title deed hung unheeded on the widow’s wall, the Bible’s many treasures seem to be hidden in plain sight to most of the world’s population. I am hoping that these verses I’ve put to music will reveal some of this treasure to the children of all ages who hear and learn these songs.
Format: Audio CD | MP3 | Streaming
Publisher: Rick Stokes & Friends
Publication country: New Zealand
Process of Illumination (music album)
NZ$18.85
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2010
It's seven years since Rick's debut recording, Songs of Deliverance appeared - an original-sounding worship disc that had a feeling of spontaneously capturing something of God's presence. 'Process of Illumination' is in a sense a musical progression from that, as the New Zealand singer/songwriter moves on to more performance-based songs, thus allowing the extent of his musical creativity to be better realised. This is a true "collection" in that songs were composed over a span of 16 years, with hardly any two originating in the same year! With interesting story-in-song lyrics that contain not a hint of the cliched, Rick truly catches the imagination, especially by conveying images of nature, such as mountains, birds, sea and caves, with which habitat Rick clearly feels a God-inspired affinity - this shows up too in his inspiring sleeve photos. Though 'Keep on Walking' is a funky slice of old fashioned rock'n'roll (with delightful bv's), and 'TV Land' is a quirky, tongue-in-cheek 'protest song' against our love of 'the box', the main musical style here is piano- or acoustic guitar-based ballad, in which Stokes weaves his thoughtful way with sensitivity and spiritual direction. I especially love the nostalgic ponderance of 'Playground', and the delicate keyboard and vocal tones on 'Ships'. References to the Divine are inferred rather than overtly posited; though on the closing 'You remain', Rick can't resist a short gentle refrain of personal adoration. Relevant to particular themes, a host of additional tools are deftly employed, including saxophone, violin, cello and Hammond. All come together to form a rich mix of appealing sounds and observations. A fine album indeed. - Tom Lennie
Format: Audio CD | MP3 | Streaming
Publisher: Rick Stokes & Friends
Publication country: New Zealand
Songs of Deliverance (music album)
NZ$28.95
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2010
Being intrigued by this new worship-name, I was curious to find out what lay beneath the artistic cover of this musical box. A veritable treasure, as I soon discovered. Husband and father-of-one Rick Stokes, lives in Lyttelton, New Zealand, and has been writing worship songs for 13 years. Here he offers a collection of his own compositions before a 'live' and participatory audience. Rick has a great voice, augmented by the delicious harmony vocals of Alison Smyth, and supported by a proficient team of musicians (providing moments of e.g. skillful flute-playing and mean guitar licks). But it's the quality of the songs themselves that makes this production stand out. This man sure knows how to write a catchy tune! Listening to this offering, you can't help wondering why no-one has written these songs before! They are gorgeously simple (and simply gorgeous). And boy do they work! Once Rick finds a good worship tune, he sticks to it, allowing it to flow gently in heart-lifting worship for 9, 10, - even 12 minutes. You cannot help but join in, and you wouldn't wish to do otherwise. Crown Of Thorns' is a profound expression of thankfulness for Christ's sacrifice, while 'Here I Am' is a touching worship ballad, expressing openness to God. 'After years of empty, frustrated living, I met the Lord Jesus Christ, and began to delight myself in Him, and He has begun giving me the desires of my heart; the ones I was born with'. Thus says Rick, following with the intimate 'Delight'.
The CD comes complete with an attractive booklet containing personal photos, song-introductions, and guitar-chords to all the lyrics. This album is indeed a 'delight'.
Review by Tom Lennie, for CrossRhythms Magazin
Format: Audio CD | MP3 | Streaming
Publisher: Rick Stokes & Friends
Publication country: New Zealand
Worship Without Walls
NZ$19.99
Battle for the Heart of a City
An amazing story of worship and evangelism that also o ffers training in understanding spiritual warfare and the operations of the spiritual realm.
“This decade of public praise and worship not only affected the city we were interceding for, it also taught us many lessons that believers need to know. We discovered that the unseen supernatural realm is very real, as we stumbled right into it. Many astounding things happened, both good and bad, as we dared to step out, piercing the darkness with God’s praise.” –Rick Stokes
“Rick Stokes is a modern-day Psalmist who has blessed New Zealand with his musical gift and his clear understanding of how wholehearted worship can change atmospheres and chase back the powers of darkness.” –Thelma Brocklehurst
“I have very warm memories about the fellowship we had as a team; we were bonded together in the work of our Lord, no matter which church we were from. That was beautiful. Never in my life have I found such a special place again.” –Elise Damm Lansdaal
Format: Paperback | 110 pages
Dimensions: 148(w) x 210(h) x 7.21mm(s) | 210g
ISBN13: 978-0-473-58362-0
Publisher: Rick Stokes
Publication Date: August 2021
Publication country: New Zealand
Book Reviews
I have very warm memories about the fellowship we had as a team; we were bonded together in the work of our Lord, no matter which church we were from. That was beautiful. Never in my life have I found such a special place again.
Elise Damm Lansdaal
Rick Stokes is a modern-day psalmist who has blessed New Zealand with his musical gift and his clear understanding of how wholehearted worship can change atmospheres and chase back the powers of darkness.