05/27/2026
It’s Worship Wednesday! Today we recognize Kimbra Tharp. Kimbra sits at the very heart of our church! She has served in so many areas so gracefully and she is a true pillar to Redeemer Church Brownwood. So to help you know the treasure that is Kimbra Tharp we asked her a few questions!
What part of the worship team are you?
As I have gotten older, I’ve learned that one of my most prominent spiritual gifts is the gift of “helps”. So honestly, I try to serve where I am needed. Right now that’s primarily on keys, support vocals, and occasionally percussion on the cajon.
How long have you played, sang, or participated in music?
Music is so important to me. I grew up in a household that loved/loves music. I remember singing along with Karen Carpenter and all the Disney Princess songs around the house and running outside to swing so I could be “alone” to have space to make up my own songs. My parents have always believed in me and my musical abilities far more than I did. I started singing in church when I was little, maybe around 7. I was in a church “musical” (is that the right word there?) when I was about 8 or 9 and sang a duet with my daddy. And not long after that, my dad, my little sister, Randa, and I traveled around to a few churches and sang the Gaither song, “You’re Something Special” for some churches in the area. I was also in choir the ONE year that Bangs offered it in High School, and helped with choir in church for various occasions. In high school, our youth pastor formed a youth band, and I helped co-lead on vocals. This is where my love for co-leading and worship music began. In my adult years, co-leading took shape differently as I got married and we started a family, and I was asked to co-lead a few different times in different churches as we’ve moved around. And honestly, it has been many years since I have sung in front of people consistently, so I still get a little shy and rusty sometimes. I still have a lot to learn vocally and am thankful for Oscar and Crystal leading, so I can hide behind a music stand in the back of the stage. (Haha!)
I took piano lessons as a child, but didn’t take them seriously. I hardly ever practiced, and got very frustrated with reading music. I lean on my ear too much, and I couldn’t make my reading music go fast enough, so I quit piano lessons (which I regret). Now I am trying to relearn the keys and definitely still consider myself a beginner.
I was in our school band in jr high, and played all the instruments they would let me try out over my 3 years. I started with the French horn, got bored, switched to the baritone saxophone, got bored, switched to the alto saxophone, got bored, switched to the flute, got bored, then switched to the percussion section. And guess, what?! I never got bored! I literally switched instruments every semester, so God bless my very patient Band Director, Mr. Lykins! I was hooked on percussion from them on. After I graduated college, I was a missionary in Oregon for a year and one day just decided to buy a djembe drum to see if I could do it. I thought I could help since our church’s worship team didn’t have a drummer. So that’s my journey with percussion.
Short 5 to 10 sentences on how or why you came to be on the worship team:
Like I mentioned before, I am pretty shy about my abilities, so I have almost NEVER asked to be on the worship team. I always feel like if God wants me on there, someone in charge will ask me to serve. And that is primarily how I’ve joined every worship team I’ve been on. Oscar asked me to join and play the keys, and I’ve just been grateful to help and appreciate Oscar’s patience as I am learning.
As far as why: Worship is so deeply important to me. I love helping lead people into freedom to worship Jesus. My favorite story in the Bible is where Mary anoints Jesus with oil, sitting at His feet, worshiping Him. She sees Him for who He is; she “gets it” and she gives Jesus all her attention, devotion, and even her most valuable worldly possession.
I want to spend my life living in that kind of abandoned worship. My gaze fixed on Jesus and who He really is, what He’s really done, and how He’s really saved me. I don’t ever want to take for granted the weight of my sin and the price He paid to save me.
So I am happy to serve on the worship team however I can help; to help others turn their “eyes upon Jesus so the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
There is something so powerful about turning our attention fully to Jesus corporately. It brings me such joy and contentment, and I truly believe it’s one of the ways God made me serve Him and the good works He’s prepared in advance for me to do.
Favorite worship song:
This is such a hard question to answer because my taste in music in general is all over the place, so even with worship music, it’s wide and eclectic. But I’ve noticed I’m always drawn to songs that focus on the holiness and worthiness of Jesus. When I feel like I am in an emotional rut or don’t feel like I am giving much weight to my sin, I like to look back on Revelation 4 and 5. It pulls me out of my sinfulness and focuses my attention on Jesus alone. So songs that reflect that idea tend to be on repeat in Spotify. Also, songs that remind me that all my hope is in Christ alone, not my own efforts, tend to impact me deeply, as well as songs that talk about commanding my soul to worship when I don’t feel like it. Some of my favorites are “Behold (Then Sings My Soul),” “With Everything,” “Life Defined,” “Great Are You Lord,” “Yet Not I, But Through Christ in Me,” “Who Else,” “Christ be Magnified,” and “Is He Worthy?”
Favorite part of Worship:
I believe that worship is an overflow of the heart and how you live. When I mentioned earlier about Mary worshipping Jesus, the Bible doesn’t mention that she is singing. She’s worshipping Him out of the love she has for Him. Sometimes that looks like singing with joy and thankfulness, but sometimes it looks like crying on your face alone in your bedroom. Worship is a lifestyle so when people truly “get it” and stop worrying about themselves and fully focus on Jesus- that’s my favorite part. Whether it’s in corporate worship or in a private conversation with me. I love to meet with women and disciple them, so it’s fun to see when the gospel takes root and a true worshiper emerges.
Fun fact about yourself
It’s not fun, I just have an interesting story: When I gave birth to my oldest, Isla Hope, I busted out my vocal cords and could only whisper. I was devastated that I couldn’t sing to my brand-new baby. I couldn’t sing for months. Finally, in cliché form, I promised the Lord that I would use my voice for His glory and not hide it away anymore (at the time, I felt like I had no gift to offer). Seriously, my vocal cords started working after that prayer- it wasn’t immediate, but over the course of a few days, little by little, they came back.
Also, my daddy passed away this past August, so I hold all of our musical adventures mean more to me now. He always believed in me and encouraged me musically, even when I doubted myself…I miss him cheering me on. But I’m thankful for my husband, Zach, who has carried that same encouragement throughout our marriage and has probably been my biggest cheerleader when it comes to music and worship leading. He has always pushed me to stop hiding and use whatever musical abilities God has given me to serve others. So now, every time I sing or play, it feels like both an act of worship to the Lord and a way of honoring my dad, and husband, who believed in me before I fully believed in myself.
