Oct. 24 Today’s Prayer
Lord, give us the strength and patience to endure hard times. Amen.Contest for fundraising religious groups
Lifetime Products, one of the world’s largest makers of folding tables and chairs, plans to give out “Spirited Fundraiser Grants” to seven religious organizatons through an essay contest that continues through Oct. 30.
A news release explaining the contest said the grants are vailed at about $2,100 each including cash and folding tables and chairs for use in future fundraisers.
Employees of religious organizations can apply by submitting an essay describing their organization’s most creative, successful fundraiser. All entries must be submitted no later than Oct. 30, 3009.
Has your religious group been especially creative in the area of fundraising? Check out the entry information and official rules for Lifetime Product’s contest here: http://www.lifetime.com/page/tipssolutions/spirited-fundraiser.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Oct. 23 Today’s Prayer
Oct. 22 Today’s Prayer
Hillsong United coming to big screen
Hillsong United is to make its big screen debut on Nov. 4 with “Hillsong United: We’re All in This Together,” a special hosted live from Australia.
The special will include the contemporary worship group’s live performance from their home church in Sydney and conclude with the debut of their documentary “The I Heart Revolution: We’re All in This Together.”
Filmed over two years, the documentary follows the band as they learn about the stories of people facing injustice and hardships around the world.
“It’s a story made up of many stories, told by many voices, no individual voice any more or any less important than any other, yet every voice working together to ultimately tell the ONE story — a story that involves everyone,” Joel Houston, Hillsong United member, said in a news release.
He called the special “part documentary, part apologetic, part call to action.”
The one-night-only special will be shown in 440 movie theaters nationwide, including Cinemark Tinseltown, 6601 Martin Luther King, and AMC Quail Springs Mall 24, 2501 W Memorial Road, in Oklahoma City. The show at both theaters starts at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Oct. 21 Today’s Prayer
Oct. 20 Today’s Prayer
Lord, help us to look beyond our own desires, so we can pursue Your divine will. Amen.Oct. 19 Today’s Prayer
Seeing Sandi
The Sandi Patty and Friends concert was the first time I got hear Sandi sing in person and it was delightful.
I have interviewed Sandi several times over the years and listened to her music, of course.
But it was great to see and hear her in person Tuesday night at Crossings Community Church.
The best part of the evening was that it served as a benefit for White Fields boys home. Sandi and her friends Anita Renfroe, the Tabors and Miss America 2009 Katie Stam made it so pleasant that I heard many people say they could have stayed to hear more.
What struck me the most was Sandi’s obvious rapport with all her guests, from the folks in the audience to the friends she had invited to entertain us.
She sang some of her songs that the crowd has deemed favorites over the years and a medley of Southern Gospel classics had everyone singing and up on their feet at the end.
My favorite song was “The Prayer” which Sandi sang with her husband Don Peslis. I found myself hoping that they would sing it. I’d heard them sing the song for the first time at the 10th anniversary of the Murrah Building bombing several years ago. They did not disappoint on Thursday.
All in all it was such a worthwhile evening. I entered the sanctuary tired from a long day and left knowing that the heaviness that had beset me had been lifted — all with a little help and music from Sandi and her friends.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Sandi Patty returns to Oklahoma
Pat Gilliand reviewed the concert in The Oklahoman. She shares more thoughts from the event below.
Part of the proof of the power of the Sandi Patty and Friends event is that it made me want to tell others about it. And what better way than to write a brief review? That’s what I found myself thinking during and after Tuesday’s concert at Crossings Community Church. But I didn’t realize just how brief it would have to be! So, here’s at least some of the rest of the story. I didn’t take notes, but the impressions remain strong.
Patty has a magnificent voice and stage presence. Especially on favorite hymns and the many songs of praise she recorded, the sound seems to flow from her soul. I loved a medley that included some of her early hits, including “Let There Be Praise,” “Hosanna” and “In the Name of the Lord.” She said the people who knew the words to those songs were showing their age. But moments later, Miss America Katie Stam, probably less than half Patty’s age, proved that wrong. Stam said she grew up singing Patty’s early songs around the piano with her siblings and parents.
Stam was amazing. I was not aware of her story, including how bold she is in her faith. The fact that she sang “Via Dolorosa,” a gripping song about Christ’s crucifixion, as her talent for the pageant hadn’t caught my attention. But I was impressed to hear her say that when interviewers questioned her about choosing such a “risky” song, she didn’t back away from its message. (She could have said it’s just a powerful song that showcases her focal range and expressiveness, which also is true.) When Stam and Patty performed “Via Dolorosa” as a duet, it was beyond description. Both women sang as if they owned the song and its message, and the power of that message was magnified as they traded solos and then shared harmonies.
I didn’t think that moment could be matched, but then another of Patty’s friends arrived on stage. I’d never heard of Anita Renfroe, but I’m a fan now. The Atlanta-based mother of three and wife of a former pastor describes her performance as musical comedy. The humor is irresistible and infectious. Her favorite subjects seem to be motherhood, weight and sex. She wraps them in amazingly tasteful hilarity. And her songs: Between the words and the performance, I was rolling over in my pew!
Patty’s friends for the night also included Brian and Kim Tabor, a talented duo from Indiana who led worship at the start and also performed a song midway.
It was also a night for family, as this concert was a homecoming for Patty, an Oklahoma City native who recently moved to the Deer Creek area after living most of her life out of state. Her duet of the “The Prayer” with her husband, Don Peslis, was powerful, and a duet with one of her daughters, a student at the University of Central Oklahoma’s new Academy of Contemporary Music, was poignant.
Bridging the gap between family and friends were the program participants from Crossings Community Church, where Patty and her family are now members. The choir and music minister/instrumentalist George Skramstad provided joy as well as accompaniment throughout and were frequently acknowledged by Patty. As mentioned in the published review, the concert was a benefit for White Fields, a Piedmont home for neglected and abused boys. The ministry was founded by Tom Ward, a Crossings member, and its houseparents also are Crossings members.
For all the words that I’ve written, I still have to say this is one of those events that my words are inadequate to describe. You really just have to be there and experience it. And again, part of the proof of the value of being there is in the fact that I’m even trying to describe it!
