As hundreds of students filled the chapel at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega for the closing worship session of Mix Music Camp on July 15, the future of music and worship in Alabama churches sounded dynamic.
Held annually at Shocco in July since 2007, Mix Music Camp focuses on one main objective — to identify and train the next generation of worship leaders.
“I get calls every day from churches looking for music ministers, worship leaders and musicians,” said Keith Hibbs, director of the office of worship leadership and church music at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM), which sponsors and plans the camp. “It’s important for church leaders to realize the importance of student music ministry. It takes a long time to bring leaders to the spot where they are ready to lead.”
New and challenging
Mix, for children in grades 3–5, and ReMix, for students in grades 6–10, encourages students and their leaders to persevere in pursuing their talents and gifts, said ReMix director Connie Hale.
“One of the important things about this camp is that it provides a place where these students see that they fit right now,” she said. “During this time in their lives, they deserve the chance to try new and challenging things.”
One of the challenges is learning new music, said Ed Cleveland, camp choral director and associate minister of music at First Baptist Church, Montgomery, in Montgomery Baptist Association. For this year’s ReMix campers, Cleveland chose four anthems, including one in Swahili and English. Such selections challenge the students on multiple levels, Cleveland said.
“Choosing a song that’s unfamiliar makes students focus more on what they’re singing. It works both sides of their brains,” he said.
Discipleship is another important goal of both Mix Music Camp and music ministry at all levels, Hibbs said.
“Music programs are not about performance but about worship and growing disciples. The goal of a church music program is to work together to learn Scripture through music and working together to worship,” Hibbs said.
For that reason, worship and discipleship are connected to everything that happens at camp. This year’s theme, “Trailhead,” based on Psalm 119:54, helped campers focus on their need for God to guide them, said camp pastor Mark McLendon, minister of youth at Eastern Hills Baptist Church, Montgomery, in Montgomery Baptist Association.
“We often want to gain knowledge to make our own way, but this week we had many reminders that life is not about us but about trusting Him,” McLendon said.
Even recreation was geared toward discipleship, said recreation leader Jesse Strickland, a member of Lakeview Baptist Church, Auburn, in Tuskegee Lee Baptist Association.
“We play games with a purpose, with the goal of teaching scriptural principles in a different way,” he said.
Beth Nowell, children’s music director and music assistant at First Baptist Church, Dothan, in Columbia Baptist Association, and a first-time Mix Music Camp chaperone, brought three students to Mix for the first time this year. She plans to come back next year with more students.
“I got loads of ideas to take home and use with children’s choirs,” Nowell said.
Not only that, Nowell saw the development of leadership skills in her students during the week at camp, skills they will use as they move into youth choir.
Participation at church
Many of the students who attend Mix Music Camp also participate in music ministry at the local church and in statewide music ministry programs, including Children’s Honor Choir, OneVoice honor choir for students in grades 7–12 and RockSolid, a Christian cover band for students in grades 9–12.
Whether they sing in a choir or just for fun, camp prepares them to use their love of music to be on mission wherever they are, Hale said.
“We want each of them to be comfortable in the mind, body and soul God has created in them and to use the skills God has gifted them with to be leaders in their churches and schools in worship and discipleship,” she said.
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