Faith Works 5-25-19
Jeff Gill
Singing as a family
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Many local churches in Licking County host musical performances from outside our community, and I do try to mention those I hear about far enough in advance (these columns are generally written weeks ahead of when you see them in print).
While I try to keep this space more general, speaking to people of faith writ large, and with an admitted bias to the Christian perspective out of my own experience, I wanted to tell you about a very special concert being hosted at my own church next week.
The Watoto Children's Choir is an ongoing series of concerts sung by the children of the Watoto communities in Uganda and South Sudan. These orphanages are set up along family lines, giving what stability they can through residential "house parents," and supported in part by the free-will offerings at concert tours they do twice a year, through the United States and around the world.
On Friday night, May 31, Watoto Children's Choir will be singing at Newark Central Christian Church on Mt. Vernon Road at 7:00 pm. This is free and open to the public, with a free-will offering as part of the program and items such as CDs and DVDs available for sale.
We made contact with Watoto through our pastoral associate, Rev. Karen Gebhart, whose journey of faith and path to ordination led through a mission trip to Uganda some years ago. Karen was moved by the work done by Watoto Church, and the family communities they establish for the children who live there; soon after she came to us as a field education intern, she mentioned what she had encountered with Watoto.
One quote she shared with our church was another person's encounter with this musical group: "What an extraordinary experience it is to host the Watoto Children's Choir. I mean it lights up the place to see these beautiful kids, and when you hear their story, you think of all God has done – where they have come from, to the transformation that has happened in their lives. I would strongly recommend that you welcome the choir. They're only going to bless you and the people will love it."
So we're having them in our church next Friday, May 31, and in our homes that night; they travel on to other communities, more concerts, carrying a message of transformation and hope around the world. You can learn more about them at their website, www.watoto.com.
You are invited, both to come hear the children of Watoto at Newark Central, but also to share with me other such concerts and programs you might have open to the general public. My email is always at the bottom of these columns, and with enough notice I'm always happy to spread good news of all sorts across our community, especially regarding music!
Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and pastor in Licking County; he can't sing all that well anymore, but he's always happy to listen to music in almost any form. Tell him about programs you want to share at knapsack77@gmail.com, or follow @Knapsack on Twitter.
