By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – The Alabama Youth Choir will soon kick-off its 2023 tour with a free concert at Alabaster First United Methodist Church on Sunday, May 28.

The concert will be held at 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary and will feature a variety of songs.

“I think this is an opportunity for the community to come together for some music, some food and a ton of fun,” said William Harper, director of traditional worship at Alabaster FUMC.

The event is open to the public to attend, and the church will host a hot dog supper after the event for attendees to enjoy following the program.

“There’s going to be an energetic concert by young people which I think is an exciting thing to experience,” Harper said. “It is that Memorial Day weekend, so we’re going to do a cookout (and) hot dog supper. (Attendees) will get to come and hear the music, and there’ll be time to meet the young people that are in the choir and just spend a little social time together on our campus.”

The program for this year presents the message in music, “Missions Begin at Home.”

“People always think of foreign missionaries, of things happening somewhere else, but it’s also true that, as Christians, we’re charged to share the love of Christ where we are, and so sharing with one another at home is a good way to start,” Harper said.

The musical selections for this program include, “When We All Get to Heaven,” “God is on the Move,” and “Amazing Grace.”

The Alabama Youth Choir represents a partnership from a group of three Birmingham area churches and boasts around forty young singers.

One of the group’s musical directors, Mike Jones of Grace Life Baptist Church, said the group formed to give these young people opportunities to grow musically and spiritually in a cooperative endeavor and that the tour is intended to foster a commitment of service to others.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to hear music,” Harper said. “I am also excited for the young people in our church and in our community to get to experience the musical results of when young people from different backgrounds, different musical abilities get together and work. This program is the culmination of a lot of the work that those young people (have) done in the choir.”

Alabaster First United Methodist Church is located at 10903 Highway 119 in Alabaster, and those interested in learning more are encouraged to call the church office at 205-663-0509.