2014, the stubborn rebellious heart of Erica-Sommer had an unexpected collision with Jesus.  It began with what she assumed would be a one-time visit to the neighborhood church to appease the request of her visiting mother.  Ready to count the seconds, she was shocked to find that the time had flown by because she was completely drawn into the service — curiosity had been stirred up. After that initial visit, being unchurched for 20 years she found herself not only intrigued, but amazed at the realization that although she had gone to church her entire childhood and through and teen years, she did not know Jesus.  She didn’t know the gospel.  She didn’t know the Bible.  As time moved on, a devastating, unforeseen loss of one of her dearest friends became a true kairos moment in her life.  Things had to change.  She had to change.  She knew that she had to be all in.  So the pursuit for deeper understanding of Jesus began, not only through the hearing of The Word, but learning to read the Bible for herself, where she eventually fell in love with The Living Word of God.

After attending this church for months, she felt the call to joined the worship team and very quickly God began writing songs on her heart, capturing the personal life-transforming journey with Him.  She became deeply convicted that throughout her adulthood, as she chased dreams surrounding her musical aspirations, all the while she had been actively glorifying darkness through the songs she wrote and performed. She came to grips with the harsh reality that she had been desecrating the gift God gave her to write, sing, and encourage the broken, hurting, and lost.  She knew God was bringing her to a path of repentance and redemption for her music. Erica-Sommer dedicated her life to Jesus and His process for her.

Today, she is blessed to be the full-time Ministry Director of Worship Music at Calvary Chapel Miami Beach, consistently leading their church family in worship through music, testimony, and prophetic words.  Over the last 7 years, she has written over 100 songs for Jesus, the churched, and unchurched.  She delights in drawing people into greater curiosity to explore the Word of God and seek deeper relationship with Jesus through The Holy Spirit.  She loves ministering and shepherding those whom God has entrusted to her care.  Recently the Holy Spirit has been stirring and calling her with deep insistent burning to start recording the songs and sharing them beyond the walls of her church. The conviction to further steward the gifts and skills God has entrusted to each of us is a weighty, yet beautiful privilege.

So Erica-Sommer is stepping out in faith once again and inviting you to come along! The BitterSweet Soul is the name of her project, because life is a mixture of sweet, savory moments as well as painstakingly bitter moments; BUT with our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, our everlasting hope, The Author & Finisher of our faith, the sweeter our journey in spite of the bitter, harsh moments that we may encounter along the way.

May her original songs touch and ignite you in a profound way for your own Jesus-journey.