On May 15, Tallowood hosted the Music for the Radio CD Release Concert featuring Bebo Norman and Dave & Jess Ray.  Through donations and CD sales, 528 radios will be purchased and distributed, allowing over 5,000 South Sudanese to hear the Gospel in their own tribal language.  Thank you, Tallowood!  You can learn more about Music for the Radio by checking out daveandjessray.com or musicfortheradio.org.

Jerome Smith, who is Tallowood’s minister to students, wrote about a challenge before last weekend’s SPARK gathering:

For the past few years we have been tracking Abby Tracy and her God given ministry of rescuing street kids, prostituted women, and handicapped homeless people on the streets of Kampala, Uganda. God has called this 24 year old to Africa with a passionate vision for doing exactly what He has called all of us to do; see what is going on in the world, realize how it ought to be from God’s perspective, and join Him in reconciling and restoring lives to Himself.

Over the past year, the Lord has provided 22 acres of land for them to begin building a permanent location for the residents of her boy’s home. In the next few months they will begin building a house for her 16 boys with the hope of increasing that number to 32 in the years ahead. We at Tallowood have the opportunity to join God in His work through Abby by providing money for a few of her basic necessities. Part of the “Worship in Action” emphasis over the next two months is to provide $9,000 that will help build sustainable fish ponds for Abby’s ministry. This will provide needed protein for the boys to eat and also a commodity that can be sold to help sustain the ministry’s needs.

We in the youth ministry are also joining in with the need by raising money to dig a water-well on the new property. We need $4,250.00 to complete that task. We are also asking our students during the SPARK weekend to bring money to help provide electricity for the house that they are building at a cost of $4,500.00. Let’s pray and ask God to use us to completely affirm these needs as together we can be a part of rescuing the perishing and caring for the dying in Kampala. You may never make it to Kampala to help with the need their physically but all of us can go there in prayer and with our financial resources. Thank you so much for your prayerful consideration of the need.

Following the weekend gatherings, Jerome added an update:

Through our students, hosts, and parents at SPARK, God provided more than we asked for. We raised enough money to dig the water well and to provide electricity to their home. Praise God!

After Charlotte shared, the team “One of a Kind” was announced as the winners of the jersey competition. Nice job ladies!

After lunch, everyone walked to the Memorial Middle football fields where we were blessed to have beautiful weather for all of our games. Despite the nasty cold and rain we’ve been having, it was 60 degrees and clear all day on Sunday. Thanks Lord!

For the Middle School Bowl, we had a girls league and a boys league and once the games got going, it was a very competitive day. The teams were playing for a trophy, gift cards, and bragging rights, so there was plenty of motivation to succeed.

In the girls’ league, a team of 6th graders, “God’s Gals” took home the prizes. Despite their youth, this team dominated on the field.

In the guys’ league, “Team Gold”, a team of 8th graders, won every one of their games on the way to their crown.

Over 100 middle school students actually played in the games and we had more than 50 guests in middle school on Sunday. We are so grateful to our adult volunteers that helped make this day happen and to our students and parents that really helped get the word out and invite friends. Until next year…

A central scripture in the performance is Luke 2:25 – 38, describing how Simeon and Anna reacted to the infant Jesus when he was brought to the temple for the first time.

Simeon, described as a righteous man, was told that he would not die until he beheld “Christ the Lord, born of a pure and spotless virgin.” He was moved by the Spirit to go to the Temple, where he held the infant, and believed.

Anna, a widow for many years, worshiped daily and never left the Temple. She had no advance notice of the Christ child’s coming, but when she saw Jesus, she knew immediately that this was the one sent to save the world.

The presentation blends narrative, music and dance to explore a question that Simeon and Anna faced, and is so personal for everyone: “Do I believe, really believe?”

The music includes a band and string section playing original arrangements of familiar carols, as well as music from artists like Stephen Curtis Chapman, Natalie Grant, Joy Williams, and Sara Groves.

The event also offers an opportunity to experience Brainard’s extraordinary gift of dramatizing scripture, which has been seen by international audiences. Information about his ministry, Charakter, is available online at charakter.org.

Formed in 2000, the Ad Deum Dance Company attracts talent with its “integration of artistic excellence with the freedom to live out…Christian faith as professional artists.” It is based in Houston and described on its webpage, danceaddeum.com.

There will be one performance of Believe: The Story of Christmas beginning at 6 p.m., in the Worship Center.

The first is Sunday night, December 5, when Tallowood’s outstanding children’s choirs present “A Caroling Christmas,” the story of Jesus’ birth.  The program begins at 6 p.m. and it, as well as all other services, will be in the worship center. 

The following Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, December 10 – 12, will be “The Sounds of Christmas,” featuring Tallowood’s adult choir, orchestra, hand bells and special guests, pianist Duane Funderburk and violinist Alex Russell, who are the internationally acclaimed artists known as LA Collaboration.  The programs are under the direction of Tallowood Minister of Worship Carlos Ichter, and begin at 7 on Friday and Saturday and at 6 on Sunday.

The following Sunday evening, December 19, will be “Believe: The Story of Christmas” and feature Tallowood worship leaders Dave and Jess Ray, the Tallowood Players, a guest dance troupe and Wesley Brainard, a skilled actor who uses drama and other creative arts as part of his ministry.  The program begins at 6. 

Candlelight services, “The Miracle of Christmas” – which are always meaningful for worshipers on Christmas eve – are at 4:30, 6 and 11 p.m. 

All events are free of charge, of course, and visitors are always welcome.

GriefShare facilitators Julie Williams (left) and LaNell Svoboda describe the forthcoming program to Houston Memorial Examiner reporter Rusty Graham

The death of a spouse, child, family member or friend can be a confusing time, when people go through emotions that isolate them with the conviction that no one knows the deep hurt they are experiencing. 

Beginning October 18, Tallowood is offering assistance to people who have lost a loved one through the 13-week program called “GriefShare.”  There is no charge, and it is available to everyone.  Sessions begin at 6:45 p.m., in room ET-106, and conclude at 8:30.

Created by a North Carolina-based company, Church Initiatives, the program uses video presentations to stimulate discussions within support groups, facilitated by people who have also gone through similar periods of grief.  Attendees are given workbooks that enable them to do their own personal study of the grieving process during the week.

Tallowood has been offering the program for more than five years, and people who have attended praise its benefits.  For example, LaNell Svoboda, who now serves as a small group facilitator, says “After the loss of my parents, this study really encouraged me.  Talking to folks who have also lost loved ones was very helpful, even when I didn’t realize I needed help.”

Reservations are needed to ensure there are adequate supplies of materials.  Contact Kim Holton at 713.468.8241 for questions and reservations.

Tallowood adult choir singing National Anthem at Minute Maid Park preceding Astros - Dodgers baseball

Music is such a major component of Tallowood’s worship. 

This weekend, the adult choir began work toward its Christmas concerts, with a retreat that began Friday evening and resumed Saturday morning. 

Dave and Jess Ray, Tallowood’s outstanding contemporary worship artists, lead services Saturday evenings and the first service on Sunday mornings, starting at 9. 

Two weeks ago, the adult choir marched onto the field at Minute Maid Park, and sang the National Anthem preceding the Astros’ game with the Dodgers. 

The following Sunday evening, September 12, they provided a powerful concert of eight choral anthems, accompanied by the Tallowood orchestra, and the trombone group, Bayou City Bones. 

Christmas 2008

Sunday evening, September 26, beginning at 6, Gerald Ray brings his extremely popular “Hymn Sing” back to Tallowood, for a concert that always packs the house.  In this “Evening of Joyful Singing” service, the retired Houston First Baptist Music Minister will lead congregational singing, the Tallowood choir, soloists and four concert pianists —  including recording artist Linda McKechnie — in a celebration of hymns of our faith.  

People who frequent “Hymn Sing” events come from across the Houston area and know that about half of the worship center seats are usually occupied 30 minutes before the program gets underway. 

Sunday afternoon, the 19^th, Sonlight, Tallowood’s high school choral group, launches its new season with rehearsals beginning at 4:30 in Tallowood’s choral hall. 

Randy Kilpatrick leads Sonlight in rehearsal

This group was on tour in San Diego during the summer, and its tour of Texas venues will occur Spring Break week of March 14, when they will perform in a number of cities across the state. 

And, to ensure Tallowood’s musical family remains strong and dynamic, choral programs for children ages 3 through 5^th grade, and “Heartlight” for junior high students, have already begun.  These groups will perform throughout the academic year, as well. 

Music?  It’s worship, and it’s in Tallowood’s DNA.

It will be the first concert directed by Tallowood’s new minister of music and worship, Carlos Ichter. 

“Coming to Tallowood in the summer, I looked for a way to get to know the choir and they to know more about me,” said Carlos.  “I asked them to identify their favorite hymns, and we picked the top four to sing.  I brought four which they might not have known and we worked on all of them together. 

“The choir and the orchestra have worked very hard on this, and it is going to be a wonderful worship experience,” he said. 

The Bayou City Bones membership includes several players from Tallowood.   The group opens the program with three pieces:  Jesus Loves Me, Amazing Grace and Old Time Religion. 

The choir and orchestra will present Rejoice and Sing Out His Praises, He Who Began a Good Work, The Majesty and Glory of Your Name, The Mind of Christ, Camp Meeting, My Eternal King (featuring organist Paula Blackmon) The Great Commission, Holy Is He and Our God is God. 

The free program begins at 6 p.m. in the worship center.

It was a simple survey, consisting of two questions:  what caused people to originally come to the church, and what about Tallowood keeps them coming back. 

The results were gratifying.  People who attend love Tallowood. 

“There was a spirit of joy and gladness that was uplifting and encouraging,” said one.  “Tallowood is a big church with a small town feel,” said another. 

The responses are being condensed into a brochure which will be published by the church’s communications committee in September. 

The purpose of the publication is to tell the church’s neighbors what Tallowood’s members are saying when they talk about their church.

People are talking.  And hopefully, what they are saying will encourage others to take a look at Tallowood. 

“Tallowood is an oasis in a dry land,”  concluded another respondent.

The doors are always open.