Celebrating their Gifts

Youth celebrated their musical talents on Saturday, August 17 through a campus-wide concert at the Harrell Memorial Chapel. Through the Performing Arts Club, taught by spiritual development minister Ahmad Washington, youth learned how to write and produce their own music this summer. Washington coached the class by teaching them how to manage their vocal chords, gave them songs to sing within their range and helped them work through the anxiety of being on-stage.

All the students involved in the summer club signed up voluntarily and had an interest in performing, recording or producing music. Their dedication to the club was apparent – many students carved out time to practice every day.

 Each youth who performed sang a song about their lives. Not only was the process of the club and performances a healing experience for many of the students, but it also affected those in the audience too. A parent of one of our MCH youth had the following to say about her experience.

“These kids touched my heart in a way that I cannot explain,” she said. “By the time this concert was over, I wanted to hug every kid I saw.”

 The youth who performed were not the only people sharing their talents. The Performing Arts Club also provided opportunities to learn behind-the-scenes operations, and students worked to organize and prepare the chapel for the concert.

The title of this concert was Celebrating Gifts. Ron Britton, spiritual development minister, had a few words about sharing gifts after the concert.

“Each one of us has a talent that God wants us to share,” Britton said. “When we share our gifts with others, we see God at work and we continue to grow.”