The size of the building alone makes you want to turn around and go home. It took enough out of you negotiating the parking lot, now you have to muster the courage to wade through the sea of faces to attend service. How will this monstrous place ever feel like home?

I think most Overlake Christian Church attendees have shared the experience of feeling somewhat lost and bewildered when first coming to this colossal church. It’s true; the size of everything is overwhelming. How does this gigantic congregation become your familiar place…like a family? I found the answer to that question in ministry involvement. My experience in Celebration Choir changed my view of Overlake from “huge” to “home”. Enormous…eclectic…talented – these may be a few descriptions that come to mind when you watch the Celebration Choir up on the platform.

Enormous: Yes, to some, we are quite a large group. I once invited my sister and her family to the Living Christmas Tree. As the curtain opened, my five year old gasped at the realization that our choir was larger than her church’s entire organization.

Eclectic: Only those of us in the choir can tell you how variegated we truly are. Young, old, large, small, reserved, exuberant. We have some members who have trouble walking and even one member who is hearing-impaired, requiring an interpreter.

Talented: True. There are some members with tremendous natural ability. Many members have been singing for so long, they have grown in their musical knowledge and expertise. You may not realize, though, that some of our numbers don’t read music at all – some can barely tell a rest from a stop sign! The Celebration Choir is not about talent, it’s about service. I can think of a few other descriptive words for the Overlake adult choir.

Dedicated: Apart from our regular Wednesday evening rehearsals and the Sundays we help lead worship, participation in our musical outreaches requires additional rehearsals and a commitment to a rigorous performance schedule. Not only do most members agree readily to participation in all of the above, many have been doing so in excess of twenty years! Most of us would agree that we are receiving so much of a blessing from serving in this ministry; we wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Privileged: Words cannot adequately describe how privileged we feel to lead this body in worship. It is a joyous, fulfilling experience to serve God in the place He has created just for you (and around 150 other people). The rest of my co-servants would agree, too, how honored we are to serve under and be shepherded by one of the most Christ like men you will ever meet, Dave Morgan.

Family: Finally, I must share what the choir is to its participants…a family. This ministry is like a church within our church. We laugh together and cry together. We pray together and encourage one another. We accept each other where we are and grow toward maturity in Christ – together.

Recently, the circumstances of my Sunday morning prevented me from making it to church on time to sing with the choir for the first service. I sat in the congregation feeling bereft of not only the opportunity to serve, but also the blessing of being with those of whom I’ve grown so fond. The longing in my heart to be up there with them was so strong, I was near tears. When I made my way to the choir room to line up and sing for the second service, seven or eight choir members told me they missed me at first service and expressed genuine concern that everything was fine with me. It felt good that my absence was noticed…that others cared about my life…that my service mattered. It felt good to be back with my family!

Erica Graf