Welcome to the Music Ministry of Vista Grande. Three things motivate and shape our ministry. First, we are committed to finding a way to worship together across the generations. To this end, our two morning services are identical. Second, we are committed to raising the next generation of church musicians. We have a children’s choir program that is primarily educational, music and worship education, and not performance based. In addition, our choral opportunities include middle school, high school, college-age, young professionals and adults. If you sing or want to learn to sing, we have a place for you. Third, we seek to give as many people opportunity to use their gifts as we possibly can. We have a band that includes drummers, guitar players, pianists, organists, keyboard players and vocalists all rotating Sunday to Sunday. We also have an orchestra that has grown to the point that it requires a rotation of some players, particularly brass. We also have a handbell choir. If you have musical gifts that you wish to use for the glory of God, we probably have a place for you.
Choirs
Celebration Adult Choir
The Celebration Choir is the adult choir. This group rehearses on Wednesday nights and leads in both services on Sunday morning. The majority of members sing in both services but some only sing in one service because of Sunday School and other volunteer responsibilities. It is their goal to encourage and edify the church and help the congregation respond to God with their own praise.
Children's Choir
We provide a music and worship education program for children aged 4 through grade six. Children’s Choirs meet on Sunday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:45. The children learn the basics of rhythm, pitch, and music notation during the course of year. Each year builds upon the previous year. The children have exposure to instrumental music as well as vocal music. They also learn the importance of expressing our gratitude to God through music as a part of worship. The ultimate music goal is for the children to leave the sixth grade choir able to sing confidently in two-part harmony singing the melody or the harmony. Click the photo to register.
Forgiven Middle School Choir
Forgiven is our middle school choir. This is where part-singing becomes the norm. Along with the development of their choral singing skills this group participates in some of the Children’s Choir programming providing leadership for the children. Forgiven meets on Sunday afternoons from 4:15 to 5:05.
Alive High School Choir
Alive is the name of our high school choir. This group contributes to Sunday morning worship several times each year. Their primary emphasis is a summer tour/ministry trip. This group has traveled to Montana, Utah, South Dakota, Oregon, Oklahoma, ministered with in the state of Colorado, and taken their ministry to Killarney, Ireland. Their latest trip to Ireland was in June of 2024. You can read about the trip and see pictures. (Click the photo) This group continues the development of singers emphasizing four-part harmony and including a cappella singing. In recent years they have begun developing connections with local Senior Adult living centers thus increasing their opportunities to sing and to use music as a door-opening ministry tool. Alive meets on Sunday afternoons from 4:15 to 5:05.
Redeemed Young Professional Choir
Redeemed is a small ensemble of primarily young professionals. The group was originally a college-age choir and it remains open to college-age students, but most are no longer in college but have remained in the group because their schedules, and especially their volunteer work at the church, do not allow them to be a part of the Celebration Choir. This group rehearses on Sunday afternoons.
Instrumental
Worship Band
We use a variety of instruments in the rhythm band for Sunday mornings. Our pianists anchor the group and their music is supplemented by acoustic, electric, and bass guitarists when they are available. We also have drummers, keyboard players, solo instruments like the violin, and organ adding to the mix to provide full accompaniment to the congregational singing. The players rotate so that all get to participate each month. Should you observe a vacancy in the instrumentation it means no one was available to fill that spot. If you are able to help, we would welcome you to the team. Rehearsals are on Wednesday nights, after AWANA and the Celebration Choir rehearsal.
Vocal Teams
We have a rotation of twenty singers that contribute to leadership on Sunday mornings. They rehearse on Wednesday nights with the Worship Band and orchestra in preparation for leading on Sunday morning. Members of the vocal teams are also participants in some other aspect of music ministry. We have a conviction that we must be servants in the music ministry before we stand before the congregation as leaders.
Orchestra
The orchestra contributes twice a month, on the second and fourth Sundays. We are blessed to have more players than we can put on the platform on any given Sunday. Consequently, we have two teams that make up our orchestra. The upside of having two teams, with some players on both teams, means we have room for more instrumentalists even though it looks like we are full on Sunday. Rehearsals are on Wednesday nights before the Sunday music rehearsal. The orchestra joins the rest of the Sunday morning team on the Wednesday night before they play on Sunday.
Bells of Vista Grande
Our handbell choir contributes to Sunday morning worship several times during the course of a music year, August to June. However, our biggest emphasis is preparation for the annual Southern Colorado Handbell Festival, held every year near Valentine’s Day, in mid-February. Preparation for the Festival gives the opportunity to hone our skills and learn new techniques which then enhances our ability to contribute to Sunday worship. Membership is limited by the number of octaves of bells we have and our small rehearsal space. There is one pre-requisite. One must be able to read music to play handbells.
Drama
Student Drama Teams
We have two student drama teams, a middle school team that is an extension of the choir, Forgiven and a team of high school students called Ten31. These groups rehearse on Sunday afternoons after the corresponding choir. Their primary emphasis is the annual Spring Drama Dinner Theater. This is an opportunity for the students to share their developing dramatic skills in short skits that teach through humor and intensity. The Dinner Theater is also a fundraising event for the students. All who participate on stage or as servers earn funds they can apply to church sponsored mission trips or summer camps.
Christmas Dessert Theatre
The Christmas Dessert Theater is our biggest community outreach event after Vacation Bible School. For three performances we set up tables, bake cookies, and encourage our congregation to bring their friends, family members, and co-workers, who might not otherwise enter a church. We tell God’s story in a dramatic fashion with good music while our guests are comfortably seated around tables with hot coffee, tea, chocolate milk and homemade cookies. The fourth performance, on Sunday night, we leave the tables in the closet and invite the whole church family to join us. We still serve the drinks and cookies, and we have room for the whole family. Not even the pandemic stopped us. It did alter the event. We got to work in June recording and filming and streamed the presentation on the same weekend we normally would have the live performances. The cookies and drinks had to be prepared at home. December 2025 will mark the nineteenth anniversary of The Christmas Dessert Theater. The tickets are complimentary, but you will want to get them as soon as they are available in mid-November.
If God has granted you musical and/or dramatic gifts and he sends you to Vista Grande we will have a place for you to use those gifts to bring him honor and glory. That is, after all, what we exist for.