Hi Everyone,
I'm not sure if anyone's actually checking this anymore, but I realize it's been a few months since I've posted anything on here. Life's been a little crazy the past few weeks/months, but now that things are starting to get back to somewhat normal and into a routine, I'm going to try to post more frequently.
So... what's new?
I'm now working full-time as the new Associate Minister of Music at New Hope Baptist Church, and things are going great! I'm starting to get into a routine with all the rehearsals and planning throughout the week. I'm working with the worship choir weekly on the Cantata that will be coming up in December. We have a really great group of singers that will be participating in this service so I'm really looking forward to it! They're working really hard every week and I know it will be wonderful!
I'm also working with the youth choir (which started last week). They haven't had a youth choir that has met on a regular basis for several years now, so the kids seem to be really excited about it. Last week we had 18 kids, and this week we had about 20 again! Next weekend I'll be taking them to a couple of the assisted living facilities in Raleigh to take part in our Operation Sharing Hope weekend where we have groups going throughout Raleigh to help on projects and SHARING New HOPE Baptist Church!
The Handbell choir also started last week, so we'll be working on a lot of new songs for the Christmas season!
I'm working with the Celebration Team every week as well, getting music prepared and ready for services each week in the contemporary service. They are an amazingly talented group of musicians and they are SO passionate about being involved in worship leadership every week. We're getting ready to start working on the concert that they'll be doing during our Fall Fest event that goes on as an alternative to Halloween Trick or Treating. It's a carnival type even the church puts on every year on the Saturday closest to Halloween. "Trunk or Treating" and costumes, food, fun, and of course the awesome concert music that the different praise teams will be working on and presenting!
Other than that I'm also leading a few hymns from the piano every week before Wednesday Night Bible Study and it seems to be going really well. I'm starting to introduce a few new hymns and choruses that they haven't been familiar with and they're excited about the changes in the music!
So... I'm obviously staying VERY busy keeping up with all those rehearsals and also trying to plan ahead and having On Call duties (hospital visitations, etc.) every week, and keeping up with budgeting, organizing the choir room, and the library, etc. etc. It's a big job, but I've been blessed to work with some wonderful congregation members and a wonderful and extremely supportive staff! I'm learning so much already, but still loving where God's put me!
Murphy's doing better after having felt a little puny for a few weeks, and he's getting used to having the run of the apartment again. (He's got more room than he knows what to do with now! ha ha...)
Well, that's all for tonight, but I'll try to update a little more frequently now that I'm getting more organized!
