Youth Choir
The youth choir is open to youth in grades 6-12. Both choirs rehearse on Sundays at 3:45 pm during the school year. Forgiven, the Middle School Choir, meets in Room 134 and Alive, the High School Choir, meets in the Worship Center.  If you would like more information on Youth Choir opportunities, please e-mail Jay Hill, Minister of Music. 

Forgiven Choir Tour to Karval, CO
May 29 - 31, 2009

A group of 21 middle school students and 5 adults traveled to Karval, CO for a weekend of ministry, service and fun.  On Friday they sang the National Anthem at a rodeo in Hugo, on Saturday they worked at the church and in the community, and on Sunday they presented "Once Upon A Parable" to the Karval Fellowship.  Click here to see more pictures.

Trip Report
Forgiven, the middle school choir, was planning to go to Amarillo for their weekend ministry trip this year but God had other plans. He sent us instead to Karval Fellowship in Karval, Colorado the weekend of May 29-31. This small church is growing up under the leadership of a local rancher, Alan Carr. The church is a mission of High Plains Baptist Church in Limon. We painted picnic tables and bleachers at the community park, helped an elderly church member plant flowers and mow the grass, helped with some cleaning and touch up in the one-year old church building, sponsored a kid’s carnival with carnival games we brought from VGBC and sang at the Friday night children’s rodeo. We closed the ministry with a presentation of Once Upon a Parable in the morning worship service. I’ve heard several times from the pastor about the positive impact our kids had on the entire community.

Once Upon A Parable,
presented 5/17/09 by Forgiven, VGBC Middle School Choir

Their home concert was a fun evening which gave us a new look at some of Jesus' parables. The group traveled to Karval, Colorado on May 29 - 31.  Follow the link for more pictures.

Music on Mission: A Follow-up
I thought it might be encouraging to share a little about the two youth choir ministry trips:

It was Thursday, June 19, and Alive was preparing for their second concert of the trip. We were at Choteau Baptist Church and even though we talk about singing for an audience of One the attendance was a little bit discouraging. That evening God underscored, after the service, that He is the only audience and everyone else on stage or in a seat is just a part of what He is doing. Heather’s uncle shared her story with me after the presentation. Heather’s father had died suddenly and tragically one year earlier and Heather was angry and turned her back on God. She returned to church for the first time in a year to hear the teenagers from out of town. It was as if the message we had prepared in music and drama was written just for her from the hand of God. Her heart was softened, God knocked on the door of her heart, and she tearfully reopened it to Him. She renewed her relationship with God that night and He allowed Alive to be His instrument of reconciliation.

Forgiven also got to experience what it is like to be right where God wants one to be. We made our plans and then God showed us what He wanted us to do. We traveled to Cripple Creek to encourage and minister beside Cripple Creek Baptist Church. Some of the Pastor’s early plans for our part in Donkey Derby Days did not work out. Consequently, late Friday night we worked out a plan for the next day’s activities and ministry. After we arrived on site on Saturday morning a need was discovered and we were there to step right in. The director for the children’s games did not have the support personnel she needed and we became the children’s game leaders serving the children of the community from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. That was June 29. On July 4 I received the following email from Dennis Peck, Pastor of Cripple Creek Baptist:

“Thank you for a great mission witness.  You and your team were wonderful.  I thank the LORD for bringing you here.  I am still hearing great things about the personal witness of the team.  The good attitude and servant heart in the park was a great blessing and testimony to all.  The worship service was absolutely CHRIST centered and honoring.  The feed back has been nothing but praise and gratefulness.  The insight and testimonies of the group in Sunday School were amazing.  You have a great bunch of missionaries, leaders and kids.

I pray the LORD ministered to you all while you were here and I hope that He leads you back.”

There is more to the stories of both trips. It is most important to know and remember that God put us where He wanted us and saw fit to use us to touch other lives on His behalf. Although our students were on the front line these are ministries of the whole church. The people that are the church make it possible. We have all been blessed.

Your partner in ministry,
Jay W. Hill

A highlight on the Alive tour was singing at the Mt. Rushmore amphitheater.