Report from Cocoa Beach

This is my first report from the trip using my computer. The previous posts have been made from my cell phone. Unlike previous years, I am publishing a daily newsletter that includes our daily devotionals. Consequently, I am spending my "blogger" time on this information for the choir. I apologize for not keeping you better apprised of our travels.

We had a good trip to Norman Park and arrived in pouring rain. The folks were happy to see us but more excited to see the rain. We rejoiced with them for the blessing. The conference center was nice and much larger that we expected. We sang for some folks at the conference center dining hall before going to the church. The pastor and youth minister at First Baptist, Norman Park met us for rehearsal and prayer. It was a sweet time.

Sunday morning was a great worship experience. The church was brimming with young families, youth, and children. They were so excited about our presence. We sang five songs during the worship service and then they asked for more. We closed the service with two more. It was a great, old sanctuary in which to sing (104 years old).

We walked across the street to the dining hall and ate lunch before making the drive down to Apopka, Florida. It was a long afternoon on the road. We arrived at First Baptist, Apopka just ten minutes before the service began. When we walked into the sanctuary, the people who had already arrived broke into applause. It was great. Our kids went to the restroom, walked into the choir loft, and sang a fifty minute concert. They were great. So much energy.

Amanda Kinser's grandfather, Horace Watson, and several other members of her extended family came to the worship service. Mr. Watson lives only a few miles from First Baptist, Apopka. He has cancer and we were so happy he could attend. After the program, our youth joined the host youth for a pizza fellowship.

We drove over to Altamonte Springs and checked into a great hotel there. The kids were so tired and a cool dip in the pool felt so good.

On Monday morning we drove over to First Baptist, Winter Park for the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference. I loved seeing so many friends and professors. It was such a blessing to introduce all of our youth to these great church musicians. These are the people to compiled, edited, and published our baptist hymnals. These are the men and women who teach in our seminaries and universities. So many of these folks have had a profound impact on evangelical music and worship around the world.

We attended the morning sessions and sang during the afternoon session. Our choir was the demonstration youth choir for the afternoon general session. Dr. Jeffery Redding did a great job as clinician. Our youth sang so well that he was able to work on some very detailed choral techniques. Chi Rho will always be a better choir for this experience.

We were inundated with comments and accolades following the session. Not only did the youth sing well, but they courageously did whatever Dr. Redding asked them to do. It was a great experience. We videotaped the session and I look forward to sharing it was our Sanctuary Choir.

After dinner at the conference we went back to the hotel for some R&R. After a little rest, we walked down to the nearby lake and had our evening vesper service. During this vesper services, we sang, had a devotional thought, shared prayer requests, and presented the Glory Stick and the Goober Stick.

This morning, Tuesday, we drove over to the Kennedy Space Center. Our tour included a view of the Space Shuttle Atlantis that is scheduled to launch on Friday night. We also toured the Saturn V exhibit. It was a moving visit.

After lunch we drove down to the Cocoa Beach Pier and let the kids swim in the ocean for an hour or so. They loved playing in the waves and looking for shells.

We check into the hotel and thirty minutes later left for dinner. Dwight had arranged for us to eat at the Florida Seafood Restaurant in Cocoa Beach. It was a lovely dinner for the choir. Following the meal we stopped by the Ron Jon Surf Shop.

Upon returning to the hotel, we gathered in the breakfast room for our evening vesper service. Tonight I talked to the kids about the assurance of salvation. We discussed 1 John 5:13 and Colin Alford shared a great testimony of his salvation experience. Bill Stone told them about the importance of baptism and led us in prayer.

As we reflected upon the day, Dwight shared a word with the group about the role of science in discovering God's creation. He said that it is easy for us to be awed by the science of NASA and the space program. However, he reminded us that God created everything and that we are only discovering little bits of what he has already made. It was a very appropriate message for the day.

Well, I've got to go. More tomorrow. Keep praying and thanks for your support.

Grace and peace,
Jonathan