August 14, 2000
Churches form choir tour duo
___By George Henson
___Staff Writer
___CANTON--Summer trips are the things memories are made of, and a recent choir trip will certainly fit that bill for the youth of Canton and Grand Saline.
___The combined youth choirs of First Baptist Church in Canton and Main Street Baptist Church in Grand Saline spread the word of Christ throughout the Northeast as they sang at some memorable venues.
___The group of 91, led by Monte Clearman and Chris Cagle of First Baptist Church and Neale Catt of Main Street Baptist Church, held concerts in Texarkana; Richmond, Va.; Chesapeake, Md.; Indianapolis; and Troy, Ill.
___They sang the national anthem on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., at Shea Stadium in New York prior to a Mets game and at Jacob's Field in Cleveland before the start of an Indians game.
___Other memorable stops were Union Station, a Broadway show, the Staten Island Ferry and Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
___"I've sung the national anthem at Rangers games for the past few years, and I began to think how neat it would be for the youth choir to have that opportunity," Clearman said. "So last year I called the Colorado Rockies and we got to sing there, and this year we got to sing for two of the three clubs we contacted. It's an unforgettable experience for the kids."
___Service also was a big part of the trip as the group split into three groups in New York City to help with ministries there. Some were used to help with backyard Bible clubs, while others served at a soup kitchen and mission.
___Helping with a Bible club was the best part for him, said 17-year-old Ty Stanfield. "I just really loved playing with the little kids and singing songs with them."
___The churches billed the trip as "Nine Days that Will Change Your Life."
___And the trip lived up to its billing, Catt said. "It was a life-changing experience."
___Both Catt and Clearman said a combined trip has many benefits. For smaller churches, the combined resources of the two groups allows for a trip of a larger scope and also makes for a larger choir, which can give a more impressive sound.
___And it helps the youth, too, Clearman said. "It allows your kids to interact with kids from other churches who they don't know and stretch themselves. Also it's fun to see these kids who don't know each other in the beginning of the trip at all and by the end they are lifelong friends."
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