Music

The music ministry during the past year has played an active role in the worship service and in other activities of the church and the community.

Nancy Durham and Kris Lafary continue as directors of the adult choir. Crystal Welch is the wonderful church organist, and Sandy Corfman, Vicki Ahaus. And Laurene Wittmer join her beautifully at the piano for hymn singing. The choir also sings many selections with Sandy accompanying them. Crystal and Vicki, along with Kris, Nancy, Steve Antras, and the pastor, make the choices for and lead the singing of hymns, praise choruses, and special music needs. We also appreciate several of our youth and children leading the praise choruses at the beginning of the services.

The adult choir continues to maintain a fairly steady average number of 15, and we rely on each other for encouragement in all our times of joy and sorrow, of illness and loss. This Christmas season we joyfully welcomed Adam Nay to the choir family.

Nancy and Kris have continued to lead the Good News Choir in special numbers twice a month with an average number of 3 singers. The congregation has enjoyed their energetic and sweet selections.

During the Easter season, the adult choir presented special music at two of the Laughery Association’s Lenten services and sang selections from a number of past cantatas for Sunday worship. For the Agape Meal the music and drama ministry presented a short dramatic interpretation of the song “Power of the Cross.”

The summer program celebrated 190 years of Versailles Baptist Church. To kick off the program the drama ministry presented a short skit “What’s An Anniversary?” The Versailles Baptist Church choir united with Tyson Methodist Church choir for the presentation of “Holy Ground.” A short hymn sing followed the choirs focusing on the theme of “witness.” A cookout/picnic supper was enjoyed, all through the generosity of local insurance agents Steve Baugh and Brad Samples. The deaconesses provided homemade ice cream, and celebration sheet cakes were enjoyed. The program concluded with church history pictorial highlights narrated by Jane Rogers and Darrel Scott, photos compiled by Dannie and Cheryl Welch and Carol Evans.

Versailles Baptist Church hosted the Brotherhood meetings twice this year, and on both occasions, the choir provided special music.

For the Christmas season, the adult choir presented a Hanging of the Greens program first produced by Mary Margaret Moorhead Clegg for a number of years. The program featured several numbers selected by Mary Margaret but incorporated the new selection “Good, Good News.” One special addition for the program was the beautiful star fashioned by the Cantrell’s.

Rosemary Study and Darrel Scott served s narrators. In December the choirs and individual soloists entertained with songs of the season.

The drama ministry delivered Advent readings each Sunday of December and also on Christmas Eve. The readings covered the themes of expectation of hope, preparation of peace, proclamation and joy, revelation and peace, and finally, the Christ candle, and included a variety of scriptural passages.

December also saw the return of a Christmas program provided by the youth and children of the church called “A Star Is Born.” The actors practiced each Sunday during Sunday School and entertained the congregation in the Family Life Center on December 15. The deacons coordinated a special fellowship time that morning which included pastries donated by Bill Cherry in memory of his wife Mary.

The choir is blessed with many members who are willing to sing solos during choir performances as well as during the offering. Many others, including children and youth, have also presented special music during the year, and we appreciate all their musical offerings.

The music ministry is also grateful for the continued efforts of the sound team to assist us in making the music programs as enjoyable and spiritually uplifting as possible. Our projection system continues to add great beauty to our services.

We are grateful for all the people who help us coordinate the special programs from the ushers to the deaconesses to the deacons to the office personnel to the decorations committee and so many more. Of course, we are blessed with an encouraging leadership team…Pastor Mike and Brenda.

God continues to bless us richly and provides us with strength, grace, wisdom and courage whenever we feel weak and discouraged. We pray that we may continue to serve Him through our various programs in the coming year with the same love and dedication that He shows us on a daily basis.

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy Durham, Kris Lafary, and Crystal Welch, the Music Committee