On Sunday, Gloria Dei officially released its latest studio single, Immeasurably More, under the name GDLC Worship. The song is the result of a collaboration between singer-songwriter Omar Aguilar, Gloria Dei’s Worship and Communications Director, and David Cervantes, a Facility Maintenance Worker at the church who is also an experienced musician and multi-instrumentalist.
The single’s release represents months of hard work, not just from Aguilar and Cervantes but from an entire team of Gloria Dei musicians, engineers, and producers. “Having each person walk in there gave us a different opinion, a different perspective,” Aguilar explained. One of the most significant shifts in the song’s development came during the recording process. “Originally, the song wasn’t supposed to have a full band intro—it was just supposed to be piano,” he shared. “It doesn’t hurt to record [2 different intro] styles, so we recorded it once with just the piano, then we recorded it once with everyone playing. When we all heard it back as a team… [it made a] huge difference.”
Beyond its musical evolution, Immeasurably More was crafted to fit seamlessly into all three service styles offered at Gloria Dei, from the traditional choir to the Spanish-language worship team. “Music is a universal language,” Aguilar said. “It’s already hard enough to meet everyone’s expectations of how they want to be served in the church, but we brought a song that everybody in our church knows and loves. I feel like everybody enjoys it.”
The Inspiration Behind the Song
The title and theme of Immeasurably More were inspired by Gloria Dei’s 2024 capital campaign of the same name—an ambitious $4 million initiative aimed at encouraging the congregation to step out of both their financial and spiritual comfort zones. The campaign’s primary focus is on funding improvements to the kids’ and student ministry facilities, all while reinforcing the church’s core mission of faith and generosity.
The phrase behind the campaign comes directly from Ephesians 3:20:
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…"
Aguilar recalls how he initially never imagined himself writing music for the church. “I didn’t think I would be writing songs for church,” he admitted. However, when senior leadership tasked him with finding a theme song for the campaign, it became clear that the best option was to write an original piece “just write [an original] song and make it something that actually has to do with Ephesians chapter 3.”
The songwriting process ultimately became more than just crafting lyrics—it became a way for the entire creative team to engage with the church’s vision. “They’re part of the vision,” Aguilar emphasized. “Anybody that has participated in writing or creating the vision of the song Immeasurably More also sees what’s happening within our church… It’s a massive change.”
Crafting the Lyrics
As expected, Ephesians 3:20 serves as the foundation for the song’s chorus:
"Now to Him, who is able / To immeasurably do more / Than all we can ask / Or even imagine…"
However, some of the song’s most poignant moments come from the lyrics that extend beyond the direct scripture reference. Cervantes, who contributed significantly to the songwriting process, shared his approach. “I like to pull from nature… Whenever I’m writing for my own material, I somehow always think of the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, wind, or water,” he explained. When challenged with illustrating how God can do immeasurably more in our lives, the imagery became clear. “When you feel like everything’s in shambles and everything is going wrong,” it’s like wandering through a dark forest looking for an exit—but realizing that the way you need to find is the way to God.
The bridge reflects this idea:
"In the dead of night / If we lose our sight / We know where to run"
Aguilar recalled the moment Cervantes introduced the section. “David wrote the bridge… All we really did was sit down and listen to what we were writing about. And we said, ‘Man, even though it sounds great, do we know that we’re declaring that God can do immeasurably more in our lives?’ Sometimes it really does require you to look back and reflect on what it is that God has done in your life.”
Cervantes added, “Just knowing that even when you’re lost deep down, you know where to go and we find strength in Him… I was actually changing a lightbulb in the hallway going to the worship center, and Pastor Dan passes by and he’s like, ‘Great words.’ And I said, ‘Oh really? You like them?’”
Overcoming Challenges
Like any songwriting process, Immeasurably More came with its fair share of doubts and revisions. Cervantes recounted a moment of hesitation from Aguilar regarding the chorus:
“Omar at first was very unsure about the chorus: ‘To Him be the glory, to Him be the praise,’ and I remember him telling me, ‘Man, I feel like this melody is too basic, too simple—maybe even boring.’ And I immediately went to Omar, almost wanting to slap him: ‘Omar, this is perfect. It’s simple, which means it’s easily singable. Anybody can sing this line.’”
Cervantes recalled how a key moment of validation came unexpectedly. “I remember we had a tech person, Adrian, nearby, and he started humming the chorus. I remember saying, ‘You hear him? He’s humming your chorus! Your chorus is perfect.’ Let’s not change it, because if Adrian is humming it, that means something. He’s not humming the bridge. He’s not humming the verse. He’s humming the chorus.”
Now, the once-doubted melody has become one of the most recognizable parts of the song, stuck in the heads of those who hear it.
The Release Day and Live Performance
After months of anticipation, Immeasurably More was officially released across all major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. The moment was especially surreal for Cervantes when the song was performed live during Gloria Dei’s Rodeo Sunday service.
“When I stepped up to sing the song and we got to the bridge, as I began to sing ‘In the dead of night,’ I started to tremble,” he admitted. “I wasn’t used to the full stage and band, and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, this is happening right now… The song is out, and we’re doing the thing right now.’”
As the song continues to gain traction, its impact is already being felt within the congregation. From its biblical foundation to its universal accessibility across worship styles, Immeasurably More stands as a testament to faith, collaboration, and the power of music to bring people together.
For those eager to hear the song, Immeasurably More is now available for streaming: