Liberty Worship Collective performs on national tour with street evangelist Bryce Crawford

Members of the Liberty Worship Collective returned to Liberty University’s campus last month after being on the road around the country with Gen Z street evangelist and influencer Bryce Crawford on his national I Love Jesus U.S. Tour. Separate teams of students joined the tour at different times — over 35 students in all — and several Liberty staff served in production, helping the tour succeed in sharing the Gospel in 22 cities.

The LWC is comprised of current students at Liberty who serve as the song leaders for Convocation and Campus Community, the weekly gatherings held on campus for students and the community. They have released two albums, “To The One” and “Fire of a Thousand Years,” which can be found on all streaming platforms. In addition to Convocation and Campus Community events, members travel to various churches, conferences, and camps throughout the year.

The I Love Jesus tour took the LWC to major cities in states like New York, New Jersey, Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Indiana. The tour began Feb. 24 and finished on March 29 in Los Angeles, Calif.

LWC Executive Director Kevin Huguley said it’s been an honor to get to know Crawford personally and see his heart for Christ. Crawford, a Bible student with Liberty University Online Programs, has spoken at two Convocations at Liberty this school year — in August and in February in conjunction with the Collegiate Day of Prayer. He plans to return to campus in May to celebrate his graduation at Commencement.

“Our student body is very familiar with the influence God has given Bryce,” Huguley said. “I didn’t know much about his story, but I sensed in a very short amount of time a real desire to see his life marked by the goodness of Jesus and the Gospel.”

Huguley said it was after Crawford’s visit to campus in the fall that Crawford approached Vice President of Spiritual Development Joshua Rutledge about having LWC join him on tour. Plans slowly formed over the next few months.

The Worship Collective sang a variety of songs, including LWC releases like “Let me See Jesus / Is He Worthy” and “It Is Well (In the Wilderness),” as well as popular worship covers. Each night, Crawford’s message changed based on how the Lord led him.

“He’s asked the Lord in every city and every night for what message God wanted him to speak,” Huguley said. “It’s been a really great gift for our team to just come alongside Bryce’s ministry. We want our songs to prop up the preaching of the Word of God.”

Huguley added that the experience is a great opportunity for LWC members to worship in front of varying age groups, from elementary students and their parents to middle school, high school, and college students.

“Our usual room, the Vines Center, is mostly 18- to 23-year-old students and peers,” he said. “But on the tour, the demographic of every room has been so unique, and that’s an opportunity we don’t get to regularly provide.”

Huguley said many members of Liberty’s Campus Production and LU Stages teams managed the production of the events. Six different teams of students took turns traveling on the tour, with each team having the chance to visit several cities.

“My time on this tour was unlike anything I have experienced before,” said ministry graduate student Aaron Fredricks, a vocalist and guitarist. “Each venue came with its own perks and challenges, and it was great to see the unity of our team and Bryce’s team as we worked together to put on an event that was Christ-centered and excellent in just a few short hours of being at the venue. I feel like we all grew in humility and servanthood with one another as we looked not to our own interests but to the overall benefit of the team each night.”

Fredricks said Crawford often had conversations with him and the team before shows, expressing how he’s seen the hunger in their generation to find purpose.

“I was so encouraged by Bryce and his team. So much of my time on the road was spent having conversations with his team about our stories and how God has been teaching us to be more like Christ through our walks,” Fredricks said. “We often walked to coffee shops in our downtime and built friendships as we got to know one another more.”

Olivia Scroggs, a graduate student studying clinical mental health counseling, has been a vocalist on LWC since the fall of 2023. She and Fredricks toured on the same team from March 2-9, hitting cities in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. Her favorite part was being on the tour’s prayer team, where she got to pray with attendees one-on-one after the event.

“As a counseling student, I’ve already had a desire to walk with people through difficult times, but this tour gave me a glimpse into how the Lord works through listening to and caring for others in that way,” she said. “On a practical level, it allowed me to practice empathetic listening and ministry outside of worship and Liberty. With a spurred passion because of this prayer experience, I gained some insight into how the Lord could use me in the church to minister to people, whether through my vocation or through simply praying boldly for others.”

LWC released a new EP titled “Calvary Songs” during the Good Friday Convocation. The EP includes three songs: covers of “Man of Sorrows” by Hillsong and “You are Beautiful” by Phil Wickham, as well as an original piece, “Song of Calvary.”