Welcome Chancel Choir!
Upcoming Rehearsals
Next rehearsal is:
Sunday, Dec 7th Tech Rehearsal 1:45 – 4:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Weekly Choir Update
- Dec 7th Morning Worship Music.
- New Information:
- Christmas Caroling at The Opal
- Thursday, December 18th from 10:00am – 10:30am we will be singing Christmas carols for the residents of The Opal.
- 1551 Merchants Wy, Niceville, FL 32578
- Please arrive at 9:45am to gather and be ready to sing at 10am
- I will have the Carol sheets for you.
- Thursday, December 18th from 10:00am – 10:30am we will be singing Christmas carols for the residents of The Opal.
- Birthday Invite for Jim Thomas:
- Marcia wanted you all to know about Jim’s celebration so you could attend if you are able.
- Choir Seating Chart:
- I have almost completely changed the seating chart again from last night. Click on the google docs link to see the charts.
- Christmas Party
- Our Christmas Party is on Thursday, December 18th from 6-8pm in the Fellowship Hall. PLEASE click on the link below to RSVP (Includes spouses or guest)
- the format will be similar to last year.
- dinner and gift exchange ($20 limit on the gift)
- the format will be similar to last year.
- Dinner RSVP LINK
- Hard Deadline, December 11th. Please RSVP early if you can.
- Our Christmas Party is on Thursday, December 18th from 6-8pm in the Fellowship Hall. PLEASE click on the link below to RSVP (Includes spouses or guest)
- Christmas Caroling at The Opal
- NEW Choir Bible Study starting Wednesday, Jan 14th from noon – 1pm in the choir suite.
- We will be doing an in depth study of the book of John by N.T. Wright
- Book link: “John for Everyone, Part 1”
- Book link: “John for Everyone, Part 2”
- Workbook link: “John – Study Guide”
- We will be doing an in depth study of the book of John by N.T. Wright
Upcoming Calendar Dates
- See you new calendar tab!
CALENDAR
December 7 @ 1:45 pm – 4:00 pm CST Tech rehearsal with all Audio/Visual and orchestra. This is a crucial rehearsal to get everything ready for the concert Crosspoint Sanctuary Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live
December 10 @ 5:45 pm – 8:30 pm CST Our thorough run-throughs with the orchestra and all audiovisual elements ensure we have all our transitions between songs and ensembles, as well as for all the additional audiovisual elements we have. Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live
December 14 @ 1:45 pm – 6:30 pm CST 4pm and 6pm Christmas Concerts. Call time is 1:45pm with a light meal in between concerts in the Friendship Hall and Chandler building. Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live
December 17 @ 7:00 am – 7:30 am CST No choir rehearsal this week. Enjoy your week off!! (Jazz Sunday Dress rehearsal is at this time) Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live
Niceville, Florida 32578 United States
December 18 @ 9:45 am – 10:30 am We are Caroling for the residents of The Opal to help kick off their Christmas Party celebration. I will have Caroling sheets for you when you arrive. Meet out front at 9:45am. The Opal at Bluewater 1551 Merchants Way Niceville, Florida 32578 United States + Google Map[…]
December 18 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Christmas Party for Choir and Handbells in the Fellowship Hall. We will have a $20 gift exchange for all those who want to participate. Our fabulous chef, Adrian Battles, will cater the meal. Please click the link to RSVP and make your meal choices. Christmas Party RSVP[…]
December 22 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm CST We will be doing a complet run through or two of our Christmas Eve worship services with Audio Visual and Jeremy and Hannah. Dinner will be provided in the Fellowship Hall at 5pm. Rehearsal starts at 6pm. Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook[…]
December 24 @ 1:45 pm – 7:30 pm CST We have 3 Christmas Eve services: (Call Time – 1:45pm) 3:30pm 5:00pm 6:30pm Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live
December 28 All day There will only be online worship this morning and no in person worship Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live
January 4, 2026 All day Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live
January 7, 2026 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm CST Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live
- Concert Program from PlanningCenter:
- Tech Rehearsal Breakdown:
- Call time 1:45pm
- Chancel choir and Orchestra 2-4pm
- Chamber choir 4:00 – 4:25pm
- Handbells 4:25 – 4:45pm
- Flute Ensemble – 4:45pm – 5:00pm
- Day of Concert information
- Dress requirements for the concerts:
- Men – coat and tie (the tie and shirt can be colorful)
- Women – very dressy, can be colorful and sparkle
- Food between the concerts in Fellowship Hall
- I have asked Adrian (our Culinary Director) to make two soups for us to have between the short window of time between the concerts to give us a boost.
- the two soups are: chicken gnocci and chicken noodle
- There will also be coffee, tea and water as well.
- I have asked Adrian (our Culinary Director) to make two soups for us to have between the short window of time between the concerts to give us a boost.
- Dress requirements for the concerts:
- Concert publicity for sharing:
- Concert Order:
- O Come, All Ye Faithful
- Advent of My Heart
- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
- Angels
- In Bethlehem
- Sing of a Merry Christmas
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
- Noel
- Christmas Eve Dress rehearsal info:
- Monday, December 22nd we will do a dinner and dress rehearsal of our Christmas Eve worship services like we did last year.
- Dinner at 5pm
- Rehearsal 6-8pm (may not need the whole two hours)
- Monday, December 22nd we will do a dinner and dress rehearsal of our Christmas Eve worship services like we did last year.
- Christmas Eve Schedule:
- 3:30pm
- 5:00pm
- 6:30pm
- Call time – 1:45pm
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.)
December 7th –
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – with Children’s choir
December 14th – Morning
In Bethlehem – with instrumental ensemble
December 21st – Jazz Sunday
MAIN CHOIR OFF – JAZZ CHOIR AND JAZZ BAND
December 24th – Christmas Eve Worship services
1. O Come, All Ye Faithful
2. Noel
3. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Prayer Requests
12/3
Nancy – son Tim’s memorial service Friday at 1:00
Patty – Tom had CAT scan – cancer has spread, now on hospice, prayer for salvation
Darlene – friend’s son supposed to have chemo, set back , has spread
Leroy – unable to have back surgery due to open wound
Jeff – BIL had heart attack, parents then had stress induced acute failure, dad also suffered,
Carolyn tooth infection burst her ear drum
BIL is now ok, step mom broken elbow is ok, dad’s echo are good, Carolyn’s infection is gone, all has resolved miraculously, quartet at Destin Commons on weekends
Jan – singing is getting stronger, PT has really helped, thankful for all the prayers
Mary Martyn – thank you for prayers grandson is thriving after low birth weight, mother’s health has improved
Beth & Phil – travel to OH, ortho – no damage in neck, off painkillers, still has steroids, suspect sinus issue
Kim – tree sale
Katrina – health of choir
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.