Jubilate Summer Projects 2009

In June over 500 singers from Baptist, Brethren and Penticostal churches participated in our choral workshop in the city of Suceava in the northeastern part of Romania.  After rehearsing on Friday evening and all day on Saturday we served in three churches on Sunday.

One of the testimonies of the participants that encouraged us the most was from a lady who has sung in a choir for a number of years.  She told us that
she understood for the first time how important it is to really live day-by-day what we sing.  We realized once again that it truly is a choice that we make - 
to live what we sing. . . and what a difference it would make in our worship times if all of those who serve through making music would follow the words of Paul found in Colossians 3:16-17 and Ephesians 5:18-20

Many people were a part of praying and supporting our big Young Musicians’ Project, or Oratorium, July 19-26.  We were overwhelmed with how God poured out his Spirit during the week.  One participant had this to say “Musically my experience was superlative! Spiritually I have never felt this kind of transforming, spiritual ‘charging’.  I have the feeling that there can’t exist a higher level of filling – and I’m not referring to cheap emotions!”
 
We were grateful to have many join us who have never experienced God’s love on a personal level.  As we had prayed, the project was both an encouragement and an outreach to nearly 100 professional musicians – both believers as well as unbelievers. And the three presentations of Haydn’s oratorio Creation were well-received and a witness to God’s goodness.  Concerts were held in Cluj, Braşov and in Sibiu.

Our 5-day summer course for music and worship leaders, August 24-28, was certainly a highlight of the summer as always.  This year 100 participated from all over the country.  One participant summed it up with these superlatives: “A taste of heaven!  Glorious!”  This year we had more variety than ever, 
both in our teaching and in the instruments brought by the participants. The times of worship and fellowship were rich! 

Courses and workshops offered this year, besides the over-all course on biblical worship and the times of rehearsing as a big choir were: conducting,    music theory, working with children, principles of song-writing, music in worship, voice, guitar, the use of string and woodwind instruments in worship, recorder, piano accompaniament, and leading worship with vocal ensembles.