by Natasha Percy

When Niki Shepherd committed her life to Christ at the age of 12, one of the consequences was the merging of two passions that would shape her future: music and God.

As a teenager, responding to God through song seemed natural, and today Niki is an avid songwriter. She plays guitar and leads singing at St Paul’s, Castle Hill, and has performed at various outreach events. Niki released her own CD last year, entitled Zacchaeus Heart.

Niki’s songwriting has had great personal benefits. “Song is so helpful because it provides a real link between us and God,” she says.

Zacchaeus Heart was written to challenge Christians to take every opportunity to serve Christ. The story of the tax collector inspired Niki. “Zacchaeus pursued Jesus: he had a willing heart; he took a risk,” she explains. “I long for hearts that desire to pursue Jesus in our lives, to get out of our comfort zones and thirst for the things of God.”

While Niki has written evangelistic songs aimed at communicating the experience of a relationship with God, her current passion is the enrichment of worship in the church. “Church is so special and it is really important for people to be taught, led and encouraged. Music has an important part to play in that,” she says. Niki has found that music is becoming increasingly important as services become more contemporary. “The church of tomorrow needs songs from God’s word that we can relate to,” she says.

Zacchaeus Heart is available from Koorong Books or for more info visit www.zacchaeusheart.com” />