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Group’s first year of ministry concludes with visit to Southern California.
by Heather Melvoin and Joy Lee –
When the Western Territorial Songsters formed in 2007, each member felt honored to participate and knew hard work would be expected to achieve musical excellence. Now, a year later, the same is true.
Meeting only three weekends per year, the songsters ministered to Salvationists at last year’s commissioning, retired officers in Florida, and a Seventh Day Adventist congregation in Oregon.
Most recently, the group gathered in early May to sing for the West’s retired officers at Camp Mt. Crags in Southern California. The response is always the sameenthusiastic. It reaffirmed to both the officers and songsters the blessing that comes from sharing with people who faithfully serve the Lord.
During rehearsal at camp, special guest Bandmaster William Himes reminded the group of the privilege in participating in God’s work, whether or not the fruits of the ministry are known.
“God will still do his work with or without us,” Himes said. “So we can allow God, in our obedience, to work through us rather than without us so that we may be partakers of his work.”
The songsters also sang for the public and several Salvationists at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. Some people passed by as the group sang and others listened from a distance. The group will never know the ultimate impact of their street ministry.
Later the songsters joined General John Larsson and the California Composite band, conducted by Himes, for the concert “Let There Be Praise.”
Every weekend spent togetherwhether singing new arrangements to familiar hymns or contemporary compositionsthe songsters feel revived in God’s spirit and encouraged through life’s trials.