Welcome Chancel Choir!
Upcoming Rehearsals
Next rehearsal is:
Wednesday, Jan 28th 6:00pm – 7:30pm in the Sanctuary
Weekly Choir Update
- Jan 18thWorship Order
- New Information:
- Palm Sunday rehearsals will be starting on Wednesday, Feb 4th
- rehearsal schedule will be as follows:
- Palm Sunday – 6-7pm
- General Worship & Easter 7-8pm
- rehearsal schedule will be as follows:
- Easter and Palm Sunday morning music is finalized and playlist links have been added in that tab.
- Parts for Palm Sunday are up on PlanningCenter and SoundCloud. Easter parts will be up soon.
- Palm Sunday rehearsals will be starting on Wednesday, Feb 4th
- What to be working on for next rehearsal/Worship: [Parts are in the Mp3 links]
- Psalm 40
- The Blessing
- Majesty with Holy, Holy, Holy
- Those Who Wait
CALENDAR
March 22 @ 1:45 pm – 4:30 pm Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live Related Events Orchestra Plays in worship February 8 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Orchestra Plays in worship March 8 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Dress Rehearsal for Palm Sunday concert & Palm Sunday morning March[…]
March 25 @ 5:45 pm – 8:30 pm Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live Related Events Orchestra Plays in worship February 8 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Orchestra Plays in worship March 8 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Tech Rehearsal for Palm Sunday concert March 22 @ 1:45 pm[…]
March 29 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm This is our afternoon Worship concert for Holy Week. We are doing “Come to the Cross & Remember” Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live Related Events Orchestra Plays in worship February 8 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Orchestra Plays in worship March[…]
April 1 @ 5:45 pm – 7:30 pm Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live Related Events Orchestra Plays in worship February 8 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Orchestra Plays in worship March 8 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Tech Rehearsal for Palm Sunday concert March 22 @ 1:45 pm[…]
April 5 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Orchestra and Choir lead worship for Easter morning Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live Related Events Orchestra Plays in worship February 8 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Orchestra Plays in worship March 8 @ 7:00 am – 12:00 pm Tech Rehearsal for[…]
Planning Center Links
SoundCloud Links
Link to access SoundCloud link or access on soundcloud.com (You do NOT need to sign in or create an account to listen just download the app onto your device or access online.)
- Winter/Spring Listening mp3’s
- Winter/Spring Alto part mp3’s
- Winter/Spring Bass part mp3’s
- Winter/Spring Soprano part mp3’s
- Winter/Spring Tenor part mp3’s
January 25th
Psalm 40 – with orchestra
February 1st
The Blessing – with Instrumental Ensemble
February 8th
Majesty with Holy, Holy, Holy – with Orchestra
February 15th
Those Who Wait – with Instrumental Ensemble
February 22nd
Just Over In the Glory Land – with Orchestra
March 1st
When I Survery – with Instrumental Ensemble
March 8th
Rest (Come to Me) – with Orchestra
March 15th
Lead Me to Calvary
March 22nd
The Old Rugged Cross – with small Instrumental Ensemble
March 29th (PALM SUNDAY – Morning)
– Prepare Ye the Way – with Drumline and orchestra
– Thank you Jesus for the Blood – with orchestra
March 29th (PALM SUNDAY – Afternoon)
Come to the Cross & Remember – Pepper Choplin
April 6th (EASTER SUNDAY)
1. Resurrection Joy – with Orchestra
2. Forever (We Sing Hallelujah) – with Orchestra
3. No Other King – with Orchestra
April 12th
Yahweh – with orchestra
April 19th
We Are Not Alone
April 26th
The Blood of Jesus Medley – with Orchestra
Prayer Requests
Prayer requests 1/14/26
Carol Brown – pain, health issues from post-breast cancer meds
Pam Alonzo – continued prayers
Candace – daughter Amy’s health crisis (in CO)
Judy – sister Linda has Parkinson’s , fell broke 3 ribs and neck, going to nursing & BIL Jerry fell in hospital and going to nursing home
Marilyn – doing PT and feeling much better! Post knee surgery
Amanda – son has a virus
Larry – thanksgiving and encouragement- early morning shift for FedEx, fatigue caused him to have accident – praise that he survived with only a couple scratches 😊
Beth – off narcotics for 3 weeks without pain, new non-narcotic meds caused stomach issues but with grit the meds are working
Pam – youngest brother Mark lost his business, going through divorce, admitted himself for alcoholism and depression, prayers that he will come home
Rebecca – hematologist- needed iron infusion
Jan – also thankful to be able to sing after TIA in July 😊
Choir Bible Study
For week 2 – Jan 28th:
Please be read the rest of John Chapter 1 and it’s commentary and do the 2nd section of the Study Guide pages 15 – 19 in the separate Study Guide addition for Wednesday’s class.
We will discuss those answers together in group.
Getting to know our choir members
Link to the choir member information spreadsheet: Link
This week’s choir member highlight is Shelly Elbert
Shelly recently joined the Chancel Choir but you all know her from the orchestra and the flute choir. She began playing the flute in fourth grade. She was a military dependent so the family moved a lot, but flute was a staple. She didn’t sing until her senior year in the choir at school. She also played piccolo during the marching season. Multi-talented as are all our orchestra members!
Shelly is married to Tim, her high school sweetheart, who she met in band. They have been together for 40 years and have three sons. Jason (and Jennifer), who have two children – Blakely and Brooklyn; Ryan (and Tori), and Tyler.
The Elberts have been in the area since 1988. Shelly is a tennis player with the Top Spins and also likes to play bridge. She also likes to have fun. One of the things she had fun with was as the Children’s Supervisor for Bible Study Fellowship with pre-schoolers.
Her favorite Bible verse is Psalms 46:10 and loves Christmas songs all year round!!
We are so blessed to have Shelly and her talents in choir, flute choir, and the orchestra!!
This week’s choir member highlight is Renee Johnson
Renee Johnson was born and raised in Pennsylvania. At church, she sang in the children’s and adult choir. She also sang in her high school chorus. No matter where she lived, she always sang in a church choir.
When she graduated, she joined the Marine Corps. Being stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC., there she worked as an administration clerk.
She married a Marine from Alabama. They have 2 sons. Steven, a 26 year Vet, USN. He lives in Jacksonville, FL and works for NorthThrope, Grumman. And Charlie is a Flight RN with Life Saver Air Rescue, in Auburn, AL. She has 5 grandchildren
Renee retired after 30 years from General Electric Crop in Decatur, AL and with her husband moved to Defuniak Springs. Last year they moved to Niceville and she joined Crosspoint Church and is now singing 1st Tenor in our choir. Renee also volunteers at the Bargain Box. She enjoys being a Watercolorist, reading and quilting.
One of her favorite songs is: “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
We are so happy to welcome Renee to our choir!!
This week’s choir member highlight is Wes Turner
Wes is one of our new basses. He was born in Roanoke, VA. He began his singing career at the young age of about 8 singing with his church choir. That has been his venue of choice most of his life. And now we are blessed to have him singing bass in our church choir!
We graduated from the Air Force Academy. He spent 20 years in the Air Force and flew the F-15. He currently works for Boeing.
He has been married to Chelsey for 11 years. They have 4 children: Penelope, Axel, Sabrina, & Harrison. Raising four children doesn’t leave much time for hobbies but he does find time to work out, run and lift some weights. If he is really lucky, he finds time to make bread.
One of his favorite songs is “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”
Welcome Wes! We’re glad to have you singing with us!!
This week’s choir member highlight is Reneé Gutierrez
Renee is in the soprano section of our choir. She was born in Galveston, Texas, but moved to Niceville at age 2. She’s been here ever since. She graduated from Niceville High School. Her first outing as a soloist was at age 5 at the Rocky Bayou Kindergarten graduation ceremony. She sang with the Youth Choir at church and recently sang a solo with our choir. We are grateful she is sharing her talent with us! (And is one of the ones helping to lower the average age of our choir members.)
Renee has 2 children. Bianca and Topher. She has a varied work history. She’s worked in a few restaurants and worked her way up to General Manager of Hungry Howie’s in Niceville. She likes to experiment with new dishes. Too bad Hungry Howie’s is a corporate entity or she may have transformed their menu with her experiments in the oven. Renee now works at Super Cuts in Niceville. She has found her calling and loves cutting hair. She also has earned a Cosmetology license.
According to Renee, God is always there and holding us up. She likes the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar tried to force them to worship his gods and threatened to throw them into the blazing furnace. But their answer was Daniel 3:17-18, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even it he does not, we want you to know, 0 king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
This week’s choir member highlight is Maxine Spence
Maxine was born in California and grew up in Pensacola, Florida. After the death of her father her mom, who was from Pensacola, moved them back to Florida. She began singing at an early age-—5! She sang in high school and the Pensacola Christian Chorus, Christian High Singers, and Sugar Beach Acapella Chorus and for many years was a baritone in barbershop quartets. She is one of our faithful and wonderful altos. She plays a little piano and the recorder.Maxine attended the University of West Florida and majored in medical laboratory technology and criminal justice forensic studies. She spent six years in the Air Force. She was a radio maintenance tech stationed at Upper Heyford AFB in England. She spent time in Hahn, Germany before ending her career at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma.
Maxine has been married to Walter Spence for 22 years. She has a son, Richard, and a stepdaughter, Vicki. She and Walt have an affinity for birds and bird photography. And are both very good at it! She works as the treasurer of Spence Brothers Properties.
She likes Roman 12:2 bible verse among many others.
Two of her favorite hymns are The Old Rugged Cross, and O Holy Night.
This week’s choir member highlight is John Pruitt
John was born in Terre Haute, Indiana and attended Indiana University in Bloomington, majoring in Education. He attended college on an ROTC scholarship and joined the Air Force after graduation. He was in the Air Force for 28 1/2 years.
While in high school John sang with the chorus, played the trumpet in the band and was the drum major. One of his favorite musical memories was singing with his sisters. They put him on a chair when he was little, turned on the radio and while they washed and dried and he rinsed, they all sang together!
John is lucky enough to be married to the lovely Martha. They have three young ad Its. Joshua is a senior at FSU, Elizabeth is a sophomore. The oldest, Emily is married with a daughter Avery and a son Atticus.
After retiring from the AF, John worked as a contractor on base. He’s retired from that and now volunteers at the Hurlburt Thrift Shop. He began singing with the Crosspoint Choir in the bass section about 14 years ago when he joined to sing One Christmas concert. He has graced us with a number of solos over the years and we are grateful to him for sharing his talent.
A favorite hymn is Amazing Grace.Favorite Bible verse: John 3:16
This week’s choir member highlight is Leak (Leroy) Thornal
Col (Ret) Leroy Thornal was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1930 during the Depression.
His first professional singing job was at age 10. He got 10 cents for singing in his Uncle Russ’ talent show.
Leroy joined the National Guard in Charleston, SC when he was 16. After just over a year he joined the regular Air Force as an enlisted man for three years, nine months and 17 days. He attended the University of South Carolina on the Korean GI Bill and received a BS in Civil Engineering. He got an MS from Troy University. He became a fighter pilot and flew the T37, T29, T28, T33 and the F4 Phantom. His career included flying in the Korean War and 100 missions over North Vietnam. One of his favorite memories was being an Air Force Escort Officer that picked up POW’s in Hanoi and brought them home. He told one friend’s wife he would bring hers home and he did!
Leroy is married to Joyce and their children are Lana, Mike, Kris, and Wes. They have 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
In addtion to singing in our bass section for many years, he has written 5 songs: Faith of a Child, The Lord Has My Soul In His Hands, Salvation Train Leaves at Midnight, This I Believe, and Little Babe from Bethlehem. He sings them all a capella. Not bad for a gentleman who does not read music!
Leroy is partial to Proverbs 3, 5, & 6. One of his favorite songs is The Canticle of Praise that the Chancel Choir has performed a number of times.