Hope, healing through music
A primary goal of the African Children’s Choir is to raise awareness of the need of destitute and orphaned children in Africa — with a splash of color.
The members of the choir are among the 800,000 children in Uganda who lost one or both parents to the AIDS virus. Yet as they sing and dance, they are known to “melt the hearts of audiences” and walk away after thunderous standing ovations.
The African Children’s Choir has toured the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia since 1994. They’ve also performed “Hope and Healing” concerts at g round z ero and in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana. Through the years, they’ve joined in with other international humanitarian projects, including Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Concert in South Africa.
Part of the Watoto Village, an orphanage that houses 1,500 children in single-family homes, the group comes back to the Triad this month for two free concerts. The group that has performed with Josh Groban and Mariah Carey will give a concert at 7 p.m . July 23 at Antioch Community Church, 1600 Powerline Road, Elon (586-0997 ). Another free concert is 7 p.m. July 25 at Community Bible Church, 4125 Johnson St., High Point (841-4480 ).
The choir’s history goes back to 1983, when Can adian missionaries established an English-speaking church. Moved with compassion for Uganda’s parentless children, they started Watoto Child Care Ministries.
The nonprofit’s mission is to raise the next generation of Ugandan leaders by placing orphan children in families that will provide love, care, spiritual discipleship and provide for their physical needs.
The program features African dance and well-known children’s songs, spirituals and contemporary tunes.
* * *
“For you motorcycle enthusiasts or those who just want to try something new,” read the e-mail, “try this on for size.”
On July 20 , New Covenant Wesleyan Church in Pleasant Garden is holding its first “Biker Sunday,” benefiting the Child Cancer Fund at Brenner Children’s Hospital .
The idea for Biker Sunday, according to the church, is to reach out to the community with a nontraditional approach and to minister to those not comfortable in formal church settings. The invitation says to “come as you are” and “feel like no one here is going to judge you.”
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., with services at 10:30 a.m. Lunch and a concert follows at noon, with the blessing of the bikes at 1 p.m. Door prizes will be given. Information: 676-0102 or www.ncwc.us
* * *
Conversations on the Front Pew, the News & Record’s faith blog ( news-record.com):
Atheist sues military
“From the things I’ve read, of the goings-on at the Air Force and Army military academies, I think it’s both 'possible’ and 'extremely likely’ that there are places in the ranks where non-conformity with the Christian religion can become a hazard to life and/or limb.” —namtac
Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit
“I, for one, certainly didn’t mean to suggest that the government doesn’t have the right to display the Dead Sea Scrolls. I merely suggested that when they decide to do so, they should ... provide the public with ... a 'balanced’ description of the two salient opposing interpretations of scroll origins. Instead, the North Carolina Department of the Environment has offensively taken sides in a bitter and widening academic dispute.”—View from here
Contact Nancy H. McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com
