We Are So Blessed...

I was just thinking today of all of the wonderful people that make our Singing Christmas Tree possible. Extra dear to my heart are the "behind the scenes" servants. These invaluable people never stand on stage or in the glow of the spotlight.

Alan Goode has the assembly of the tree structure down to a fine science. Thank you, Alan and all those who work with you to make the tree sturdy and safe.

Jerry McCann and Darren Prevatt worked tirelessly to keep the tree lights working.

John Santillo and his team served hundreds of cups of coffee and hot chocolate with a smile.

Mary Karpf, while dealing with her own sickness, flawlessly coordinated our childcare during the rehearsals and performances.

Stan Stufflebeam rehearsed the band (our band is awesome!), organized our music, put up the sign and took care of many details.

Keith Thompson put together the beautiful video graphics that the audience enjoyed during the show. Keith's video work is second to none.

Pastor Ken never fails to bring us stories that are relevant and moving. While many preachers are bent on "shucking the corn" our Pastor shares wonderful stories – just like Jesus did! Thank you, Pastor Ken for you support.

Mark Reed takes 48 inputs of audio in a very difficult environment and makes it sound good. Every good performance begins with good sound. Thank you, Mark.

Ken Krantz sets up and runs our stage lighting and spotlight. Kenny, you are invaluable.

Hal Hunter ordered the scaffolding and chairs, printed our posters, helped with set up, ran the computer for the choir and tons of other "little" things. Thank you, Hal.

Larry Coffey ran the computer for the audience while dealing with some very painful foot problems.

Gerry Mucha faithfully ran the video camera for all performances.

Diane Keuning is as faithful as the sun rising in the morning. She rehearsed the sopranos and altos and the Children's Choir and they were outstanding.

Phil Massicotte does the line up on the tree and helps me in many ways.

Ricky Travis coordinates our security. Ricky and his team spend the night to watch the equipment. We haven't lost anything yet!

And for those I left out, I apologize. I'm getting old. Anyway, I just wanted to say "Thank you" to all of you.

It was cool how many families were a part of the production. The whole Thompson Family, Jonathan and Emanuel (Tony, we miss you. There is a hole in our hearts when you're not playing. Our band is incomplete without you. We are all praying for your speedy recovery and your return.) Kim and David, Phil and Rachel, Ken and Becky, Ken and Lori, Sherri and Brooke, Rick and Donna (Donna is my dream come true. My ministry would be non-existent without her), Hal and Betty and many more!

Our band is exceptional. Our singers are the best anywhere. It's amazing the talent God has assembled in our small church family! You're not only good at what you do. You have a sweet spirit, too.

We are so blessed. Thanks for letting me hang around.

Rick Painter
Worship Arts Pastor

Some Great News From Rick...

Throughout the year we hear stories of how God has used the Singing Christmas Tree to draw people to faith. That confirms that the pain and suffering is worth the effort.

Last spring I found a musical that I believed would be perfect for our 15th Annual Argyle Outdoor Singing Christmas Tree performances in December. New music is expensive. Music books, parts CD's and the orchestration would be over $1,200.00. I believed God would provide.

We also need a baritone saxophone. Without a trombone in our band, we need the low end "beef" that a bari sax can provide. Both Tony and Emanuel are able to play it. We just needed an instrument. The cost would be around $700.00 for a playable used instrument. I believed God would provide.

The scaffolding rental, chair rental, promotion and other incidentals to produce the Tree each year cost around $2,000.00. God can provide that, too.

We received an offering at the Christmas In August dinner last week. We have received $2,925.00 as of today. The music is paid for. The bari sax is paid for and we are well on our way to cover the other costs of the Tree.

God is faithful. His people at Argyle are wonderful. Praise the Lord.


Rick Painter
Worship Arts Pastor

The 2008 Tree...

is now history. We had a great turnout. More than 2,000 people braved the cold to enjoy the 14th anniversary production.

We sometimes wonder if it's worth the effort and expense. After all, over a hundred people have been working, some since August, to put this puppy together. Is this effort paying off?

I think so. On each night we heard from people about their impressions. Some were veterans, and attending the Tree is a family tradition. Some were newbies, and they were, without exception, blown away. Everyone we talked to agreed this is an important ministry to our community.

The Saturday before we began, I spoke to a friend who is Choir Director of a United Methodist Church in Arlington. When I told him about our Tree, with 70 voices, 15 musicians, new music every year, done outdoors for four nights, he was flabbergasted. Understanding the challenges, it is something he can't imagine attempting.

I believe God blesses audacious things done to promote His glory and the Gospel. Done in our own power, I think the Tree would fizzle; done in His Name and in His power, it becomes a powerful way to reach people in our community.

Hal Hunter

Weather Watching...

It's not just farmers and fishermen who watch the weather. People who put on major outdoor events involving hundreds of people and a lot of electronic equipment and musical instruments also ponder the sky.

Each year we present an Outdoor Singing Christmas Tree. 2008 is the 14th year. Our Tree has become something of a tradition in our community. (After all, it can be heard a mile or more away on a still evening!) The singers and musicians started rehearsing in August. Over 80 people have spent months learning music and practicing.

Last week we built and decorated the Tree structure. This morning we set up the mixing console (48 total channels for the techies), powered speakers, sub-woofers, amplifiers, signal processors, lights, spotlights, computers, projectors and flat-screens, drum kit, two keyboards, and what seems like a bazillion music stands and a couple miles of wire.


Now comes the weather watching part: predictions say we should expect rain Thursday. Not just rain, but the "possibility of severe thunderstorms." There have been a couple times over the years when we had had to cancel a single performance for weather, but we hope that Thursday is not one of them. The hour-by-hour predictions say the storms should be over by late afternoon, with clearing by 6:00 pm. If those predictions are accurate, we are good to go with performing at 8:00 pm.

Join us in praying for good weather later in the day Thursday. Since God encourages us to bring all our cares to him, let's get specific: rain ending by 4:00 pm, followed by quick clearing; conditions at 8:00 pm- clear, dry, still and 58 degrees.

We invite everyone to attend. It's free, with plenty of parking and seating. We even provide hot chocolate and coffee. This may be the only time this Christmas season some of the people attending the Tree will hear the Gospel and hear the real Christmas story. That's one of the main reasons we do it, and one of the main reasons you should join us in praying for the weather.

Hal Hunter