Wednesday, Dec. 24 ~ 5 Christmas Eve Services
2:00 Family Service
4:00 Two simultaneous Worship Services in the Sanctuary and the Foundation
6:00 Worship Service
11:00 Worship with Holy Communion
Thursday, Dec. 24 – Christmas Day
10:00 Worship Service with Holy Communion
With a new Director of Music and Worship, opportunities to share your faith through music are growing at Faith Lutheran. The Faith Singers are looking to increase their numbers and “Run Out of Robes” by April 6. If you or someone you know is interested in being a member, consider joining and come to a rehearsal. All are welcome. Singing in choir is an opportunity to share your gift in worship, meet wonderful people, and learn more about music in the church. Faith Singers meet Wednesday evenings at 6pm, and during the Lenten season after the 6:30pm worship service.
A Music Vision Potluck is planned for Sun. March 23 at 11:30am in the Faith Center. Present, former, and future musicians of the church are invited to join in on a meal and conversation about the vision of the music ministry. All are welcome, look for the sign-up sheet in the entry ways and church office. We have several opportunities for special music during the Lenten services. If you are interested, contact Mike Lauer (320-587-2093).
Thank you to all the musicians who participated in our Easter worship services this year! Here are some pictures from the 9:30am service, including the Faith Singers, Ringers of Faith, a chime choir, and a song from the Sunday School children. Thanks to Jill Bierbaum for taking the pictures!
See the rest of the pictures:
Roxanne Wigen has been ringing since Faith got its first two octaves of hand bells, and the Ringers of Faith formed in 1982.
“Once you ring, I think you are hooked,” she said.
She loves hand bells and the sounds they bring to music.
“Many times when we are doing a piece I get chills up and down my arms as I hear the melody with all the different octaves melding together,” she said.
Roxanne sees ringing as a challenging hobby, and says each ringer has their own “mini” fears about performances.
“I tend to get fidgety before we play,” Roxanne said,” but once we start playing, the music flows through me and I just concentrate on the notes and the director.”
The ringers practice at 5:15 p.m. on Monday nights. Practice is Roxanne’s favorite part. She said total concentration is needed to prepare a piece.
“Any external worries,” she said, “like work, and family, just float way [during practice].”
Practice is also a good time to share fun mistakes – everyone makes them – with the group. Although, mistakes can happen during a performance as well. Once Roxanne was directing the group during a performance when they came upon an especially loud section of the song. Roxanne got carried away and hit her baton on the music stand, which sent the stand flying past one of the Ringers. It landed right next to Pastor Randy.
“When I looked up, the expression on his face was priceless,” she said.
You can become a member of the Ringers of Faith. They’re looking to fill a couple openings. Intrigued? Come get your feet wet at the “Intro to Hand Bells” class on Sunday Mornings Feb. 24-March. 24 @ 9:15am.
Read “Why I Ring: Part I” here.
The Ringers of Faith are looking for a couple new members, so we asked the current members why they love to ring.
Shari Dorival is in her 12th year as a Ringer of Faith. She began ringing after responding to a “help wanted” ad in a church bulletin.
“I got ‘hired’ even though I had never read music before,” she said.
Shari said it is rewarding to hear the progression from the first sight reading of a piece to a beautiful musical performance in church.
“I think every time we play, no matter how well we played, we get compliments from members,” Shari said, “and that makes it very easy to stand up there and ring.”
For Shari, the best part about ringing is the new friends she has made. She loves the laughs and on-going jokes the group shares.
No experience is required to become a Ringer, although being able to count to 4 helps. Monday evening practices are at 5:15pm.
Interested, but want to know more? Come to the Intro to Hand Bells course offered during Digging Deeper (9:15am on Sundays: Feb. 24 to March 24, 2013). All women who have considered ringing, but want to try it first, are welcome!
