Craig Aven is an ordinary guy with an extraordinary voice and songwriting ability. His ultimate passion is to write songs that encourage, lift up, and move a generation to experience a life of freedom found only in Jesus. Being a graduate of Teen Challenge Cincinnati, a discipleship program that helps men overcome life-controlling issues such as drugs and alcohol, Craig knows first hand the freedom that a relationship with Jesus brings. Worshiping God is his passion, and it is reflected in the heartfelt lyrics of every song that pours out from his soul. Part of Craig’s calling is to support and bring attention to the needs around the world, especially when it comes to children without parents. He has lead worship in India, Belize, the Philippines, and has also spent summers in Mexico organizing praise and worship events for Back2Back Ministries. “It’s amazing how after shoveling cement all day and interacting with the kids in the children’s homes, hearts are more vulnerable and open to God,” he says. In 2005 he co-founded Mercy Street Ministries, with the call to train and equip artists to be worshipers. MSM is also a resource for the local church, providing worship music for new church start-ups and offering training seminars for the Worship Arts Ministries. This includes traveling with the MSM team made up of world-class musicians, gifted worship leaders, songwriters, choir directors and media producers, to train others on how to cultivate worship in their own lives and ministries. Craig has written with songwriters such as Tommy Walker, T.W. Hale, Buddy Mullins, (formerly from The Gaither Vocal Band) and has opened for Chris Tomlin, Natalie Grant, Cindy Morgan, Skillet, Russ Lee and others. He has performed with Newsong, and has appeared on TBN with artists such as CeCe Winans, Jonathan Butler, Martha Munizzi and Calvin Nowell. “Without Faith”, a song birthed out of Craig’s desire to inspire and encourage the President, was performed for George W. and Laura Bush in front of 50,000 when he was only 22 years old. Craig has recorded three projects, working with such producers as Kent Humphrey, Christopher Harris, Linda McCrary, Derek Williams and others who have worked with top artists including Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Elton John, Michael McDonald, Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston and Earth, Wind And Fire, David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Jeff Deyo, Matt Redman, Israel Houghton, Delirious?, Rita Springer, Crystal Lewis, Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman. In 2007, Pure Springs Gospel released a project entitled CeCe Winans Presents Pure Worship, which included Craig’s performance of his song “Faithful.” His most recent project, Shelter, was released independently with Teen Challenge Cincinnati. It includes all original works, written out of places of desperation seeking, and deep liberation. Every song on the CD comes with a written testimony of how it was birthed. Craig, his wife Tess, and their three children currently live in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the leader of the Creative Arts Ministry at Eastgate Community Church.