During the Season of Joy, voices will unite in song
- Mary Lou Montgomery
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
MARY LOU MONTGOMERY
The time-honored sanctuary of Hannibal’s First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will serve as the backdrop for a regional event, “All Disciples Sing,” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.
The congregation has worshiped in this building, at 1101 Broadway, for 135 years. The preservation of this worship site remains central to the church, and the community’s core.
Sunday’s event will serve as an outreach to DOC congregants from Hannibal, and invitations have also been extended to the other DOC churches in Northeast Missouri, including area towns such as Fulton and Centralia to the west, Edina and Knox City to the north, and Troy and Hawk Point to the South.
Ethan Colbert, member of the Frankford First Christian Church in Pike County, serves on a planning committee with the Rural Ministry Network, where the concept for “All Disciples Sing” was born.
Through their affiliation, the congregations have been talking to each other. The Rural Ministry Network has been hosting listening sessions around the state, Colbert said. “There are a lot of DOC churches in Northeast Missouri, well over 40. If we could all be unified, the impact we could have …
“This Sunday’s event is inspired by an annual program that has been held in Disciples of Christ churches in Western Kentucky,” Colbert said. “There, churches gather once a year and have different congregations present musical acts: Choir, vocal or instrument.”
The overall concept is to bring DOC congregations together, large and small alike.
“We are reaching out to each of the congregations,” through All Disciples Sing, he said. “They are welcome, and we’re letting them know that we really hope to see them, so we can get to know them.”
The event will be held on the “Sunday of Joy,” Colbert said, the fourth Sunday of Lent. “It will be joyful for us to all be together. What would God think or feel if hundreds of his followers all gathered together, singing in one voice. What a joy that must bring to God, to Heaven.
“This will be congregational singing,” Colbert said. “Hannibal is providing us with an accompanist; we all will be singing from hymn books in the pews. It is inspired by Psalm 100, make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
“If they sing off key, on key, if they sing out of tune, it is still a joyful noise to God and that is what this Sunday is all about.”
They will be singing well-known Christmas hymns, and the event is open to all, not just Disciples of Christ members. “We’d love to see our fellow Christians from other denominations there joining us in song,” Colbert said.
Included on the program are Christmas favorites, such as, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful,’ ‘It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,’ ‘The First Noel, and ‘Joy to the World.’
“We will sing some songs in addition; these are examples,” Colbert said.
Initial concept
“It was really an idea we heard about at our general assembly,” Colbert said, “which was in Memphis. We were discussing ministry opportunities. It seems like such a fun way to connect with each other. We felt inspired to bring it here to the state, starting in Northeast Missouri.
“When we were pitching this idea, Hannibal made a lot of sense” to serve as host, “for a lot of different reasons. They have a beautiful sanctuary space, and a community that is easily accessible to so many in Northeast Missouri. We were so thrilled that Hannibal agreed to host,” Colbert said.
“I would love to have a sanctuary full of people on Sunday afternoon. celebrating the Christmas season and worshiping God together.”
Launching pad
This event in Hannibal “will be the catalyst from the Rural Ministry perspective,” Colbert said. He predicts that this will become a launching pad for a state-wide event, where churches across the state will be regional hosts and we will see it grow across the state.”
Rural Ministry Network is an initiative of the Disciples of Christ, “in hopes of reconnecting, encouraging and equipping small towns and rural congregations so that they feel as connected to the denomination and one another as possible.
“Several years ago, some pastors in the state got their heads together, and asked, ‘what can we do to support small rural churches, who perhaps don’t have the ability to send someone to general assembly or state regional assembly? How can we provide resources for programs, outreach, ministry, and what can we learn from them?”
Host church
Stephanie Himmel, associate minister of Hannibal’s First Christian Church, said that“All Disciples Sing,” is a natural fit for not only her church, but for the Christmas season.
“The way Christmas lends itself to bring people together. For us who do participate in Advent, this Sunday is the Sunday of Joy. People don’t get to see each other, to come together. There is a longing for joy, because life is hard.
“Ethan and the rural ministry,” she said, “their vision and their work to pull this together has been incredible. We’re opening our doors, but they have done all of the leg work. They have been so wonderful.
“They put together the order of worship, had a beautiful vision, a beautiful thought. I’m very excited” about this experience, she said.
Livestream
While the leadership of Sunday’s event realizes that not everyone will able to attend “in the flesh,” the event is accessible to all through live streaming.
A link to the livestream can be accessed via the First Christian Church of Hannibal’s website: https://www.fcchannibal.com/
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