The Indiana e-Christian

Central Christian Church, 1434 West Second Street, Seymour, will host a concert by the internationally acclaimed African Children’s Choir on Wednesday, July 8 at 7:00 p.m., in the sanctuary.

The African Children's Choir will perform in the sanctuary of Central Christian Church, Seymour, on Wednesday, July 8, at 7:00 p.m.

The mission of the African Children’s Choir is to help Africa’s most vulnerable children today, so they can help Africa tomorrow.  With a focus on education, the choir is currently caring for several thousand underprivileged children throughout Africa.  These are children who could have lost all hope, but have overcome their circumstances and now are making a positive impact on society.  Many return to their homeland with tools to become doctors, nurses, educators, and much more.

The African Children’s Choir has appeared on nearly every major network in the United States, on “Jay Leno”, “Good Morning America”, and most recently “American Idol” alongside the likes of Wyclef Jean, Josh Groban, The Gaither Vocal Band and Michael W. Smith.  They have performed for the United Nations, the White House, and the Queen of England.

The children melt the hearts of audiences with their charming smiles, beautiful voices and lively African songs and dances.  The program features well-loved children’s songs, traditional spirituals and contemporary tunes.  Nearly every performance is concludes with a thunderous standing ovation.  In spite of the tragedy that has marred their young lives, the children are radiant with hope, musically gifted and wonderfully entertaining.

Some of the quotes shared by churches who have hosted such concerts include:

The blessings that we have received will remain with us always. The joy, the laughter, the tears of love that flowed in both concerts have touched us at the core of who we are as a church. – Mount Royal United Church, Montreal, QC

We were all thoroughly blessed by this experience. It is a morning of worship I will not soon forget. What a powerful witness these children have shared with us. – First Lutheran Church, Fargo, ND

Central Christian Church feels blessed to share this experience with the community of Jackson County and surrounding areas. There is no admission to the concert. A free-will offering will be taken to support the choir’s efforts back in Africa.  Child care in the nursery will be provided for babies and toddlers.

This summer, the Women’s Retreat Planning Team at Southport Christian Church in Indianapolis will host a series of three “Saturday Night Under the Stars” events.  Each event will include music and dinner for the entire family.  The dates for the events are June 20, July 18 and August 15.

On Saturday, June 20, professional singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kara Barnard will team up with Southport member and regional staffer Dean Phelps for an evening of acoustic music. Picnic style food will be provided.

Kara Barnard

Kara has performed at many of the country’s biggest venues including the Down Home in Bristol Tennessee; The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Charlotte’s Web in Rockford, Illionois; and festivals from Kansas to New York, Michigan to Florida.  Dean is a minister-musician with three full-length recordings to his credit, including last summer’s release, Give Us a Song.

July 18 will feature a high quality silent auction along with special music (details to be confirmed). A sit-down meal will be served as part of the evening of the evening of fun and relaxation.

The final event on August 15 will be a fun evening of country and folk music performed by Nashville, Tenn., friends of Southport pastor Doug Lofton. 

Tickets for each event are $10 per single, $18 per couple and $25 for families of three or more.  Series tickets for all three events are also available at a discounted rate.  Proceeds from the series will support the fall women’s retreat and the summer youth camp at Southport.

For tickets and other information, contact Southport Christian Church at (317) 784-4431.