Outdoor praise: Concerts in Waynesboro, Staunton aim to thrill Christian music lovers

By Sage Merritt

Published: June 24, 2008

Whether you’re looking for a new worship experience, a chance to fellowship with the area community or just the opportunity to hear great music on Tuesday nights, two free area concert series can meet your needs.
Waynesboro’s Summer of Praise and Staunton’s Praise in the Park will both begin within the next week, giving Christian music fans the chance to enjoy a wide range of spiritual tunes in an outdoor environment.
Praise in the Park, which takes place at the Gypsy Hill Park bandstand every Tuesday at 7 p.m. from July 8 through Aug. 26, will kick off with a special event Sunday at 3 p.m. Summer of Praise, taking place every Tuesday at the Ridgeview Park Amphitheatre through the end of August, will open its season with Youth Night this Tuesday.
“Our goal is to present a spiritual message through song, with wholesome fellowship and family time,” said Dave Anderson, pastor at Linden Heights Baptist Church, which sponsors the Praise in the Park series. “We hope to provide a means for prayer and worship on a wider basis, something that goes well beyond the boundaries of our church walls. The neat thing about Praise in the Park, I think, is that it transcends denominational barriers. We’re not Baptists and Presbyterians and all the other denominations, we’re just believers, coming together and enjoying music.”
Sunday’s Praise in the Park kick-off will begin at 3 p.m. in Gypsy Hill Park, featuring four bands that span a wide range of genres. The band Southern Grace will open the event at 3 p.m., followed by Nothin’ Fancy at 4 p.m. After a short break for dinner, local quartet the Coachmen will take the stage at 6 p.m., followed by Atlanta, Ga.-based band Echoing Angels at 7:30 p.m.
“We start out with a Southern gospel group, followed by a bluegrass group, followed by a quartet, and then round out the evening with a contemporary group,” said Anderson. “Each year we try to bring in a different nationally known group, like Echoing Angels. It gives Praise in the Park different variety.”
Praise in the Park’s kick-off celebration will also feature children’s activities, concessions, T-shirts and more. A Community of Faith tent will give concert-goers the chance to meet with representatives from 15 area churches and faith-based organizations, and a prayer wall will be in place for attendees to write prayers and prayer requests. A free-will offering to benefit disaster relief will also be received during the event.
“We want to reach out to people in the community,” said Mary Cox, volunteer with Praise in the Park and member of Linden Heights Baptist Church. “We hope to reach out to people who normally wouldn’t have contact with this type of thing.”
The weekly Tuesday concerts will begin on July 8 at 7 p.m. with contemporary Southern gospel group Spirit Led and the Salvation Army Conservatory. First Baptist Church will host children’s Bible school before the event at 6:45 p.m.
The Praise in the Park kick-off and weekly Tuesday concerts are free events. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Waynesboro’s Summer of Praise concert series will open this Tuesday at 7 p.m. with performances by Emily and Rachel Soffell, Jamie Hewitt and Elise Meyers, headlining Youth Night.
“We have a focus on contemporary music,” said Joshua Micah Akin, pastor of Blue Ridge Christian Fellowship and Summer of Praise organizer. “We have a broad array scheduled, from straightforward rock ’n’ roll to contemporary folk.”
Akin is also a member of Satellite, the acoustic-alternative Christian band that will open every Summer of Praise performance.
“Our goal is to provide an environment where musicians can grow in their songwriting ability, providing a venue for local artists to blossom and be encouraged,” said Akin. “My hope is that we provide music and an environment that can be enjoyed by little kids all the way up to their grandparents. I hope that people come out to the Amphitheatre, from little guys all the way up to the parents, and hear some really good music and be impressed with variety and musicianship in the Shenandoah Valley.”
Attendees for Summer of Praise are encouraged to bring a picnic. All Summer of Praise concerts are free.
For more information about Praise in the Park, contact Linden Heights Baptist Church at 886-1138 or go to http://www.lindenheightsbc.com. For more information about Summer of Praise, contact Akin at 434-760-0161.