Le estoy muy agradecido!” (“I am very grateful to you!”) These were the words spoken by the members of Alabama Baptist All-State Youth Ensemble RockSolid as they left their Spanish hosts at the airport in Barcelona.
The group had just finished a missions/concert tour in the area of Manresa, Spain, which is about 50 miles north of Barcelona. Vocalists and instrumentalists in the group participated in the missions effort by singing street concerts for shoppers, in churches and a concert in the concert hall in the town of Artis north of Manresa.
“It was the best missions tour I’ve been privileged to lead,” said Keith Hibbs of the State Board of Missions’ office of worship leadership/church music.
“The experiences we shared, the opportunities we had and the friendships we made will stay with us forever.”
The concert in Artis was a prime example. Approximately 250 people were in the hall as the group performed secular and contemporary Christian music in Spanish and English with Christian testimonies interspersed in the body of the concert.
Secular audience
Jose Barcelo, the host pastor of First Baptist Church, Manresa, estimated that 90 percent of the audience were not Christians. The local Catholic priest expressed amazement to Pastor Jose that young people would sing and speak in public about their relationship to Jesus Christ.
“RockSolid rehearses and tours every year (for one week),” explained Hibbs. “We usually tour in Alabama but every third or fourth year we have the opportunity to go out-of-state with our message.”
Members of the group who went to Spain include Meg Madison, Kyle King and Britt Adams, all of First Baptist Church, Opelika; Ja’ Morris Rivers, First Baptist Church, Dadeville; Bryant Lumpkin, First Baptist Chruch, Lanett; Sara Borchik, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Enterprise; Charles Ashcom and Susan Swedenburg, Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Montgomery; Lindsey Smith, First Church, Boaz; Daniel Tidwell, First Church, Oneonta; Keith Wingard, Dalraida Baptist Church, Montgomery; Army Ray, Cloverdale Baptist Church, Dothan; Natalie Thompson, Ozark Baptist Church, Ozark; Diana Lambeth, First Baptist Church, Flomaton.
(ABSC)
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