On April 1st, the bus hit the road for the first weekend trip of the 2011 year. Goshen, IN was our destination. The families went along this time, except for Daryl’s family, who remained at home recovering from the flu. Brian’s oldest daughters also stayed at home, but Jason’s whole family went. Danny managed to bring his ENTIRE family on the trip, too!!
GOP-- on the road again! Miss Christina went along to visit her family.Crowded.. but not as crowded as usual.View from the road.
2011 was the first year the A Cappella Gospel Sing took place, but hopefully this will become an annual event. Ray Yutzy, of Sharon Bethel Quartet from Iowa, headed up the event, along with a committee of five men in the Goshen area. Ray did a phenomenal job of envisioning the weekend and helping it to run smoothly. Thanks, Ray!
Quartets, quintets, choirs, and family groups from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Canada, and more…
Followers Quartet
Garment of Praise
Greene Mountain Men’s Choir
Harmony Quartet
Harmony 5
Harmony 5 Generation 2
New Freedom Quartet
New Heights Quartet
The Harbor Lights
Higher Ground Quartet
The Living Faith Quartet
Sharon Bethel Quartet
Smucker Family
Many thanks to James Yoder, of Kalona, IA, who ran the sound and did a magnificent job! Also our appreciation goes to Fairhaven, for hosting the event at their church and to the Fairhaven/Woodlawn Youth for operating the food booth.
Thanks to the Fairhaven congregation for their support!
Organization at this event was top-notch!
Yummy food whenever you wanted it.
Guy (Daryl's son), enjoying something from the food booth.
Near the dining area, each of the groups were able to set up a table to display their CDs and cassettes, and that is where we were able to meet friends and visit.
CD tables
A highlight of the trip was being able to reach new people in the Goshen, IN area. From those we met, we received many encouraging words to go on singing. Thank you for that! We can go for quite a while on an encouraging word!
We also enjoyed meeting the other singing groups, and getting to know them. What a wonderful fellowship in working together to worship the Lord and bringing others a blessing!
The A Cappella Gospel Sing was Friday and Saturday, so on Sunday Garment of Praise sang at Blue River Church of the Brethren.
After enjoying a meal there, we headed back toward Pennsylvania, reaching home around 1:00 am Monday morning.
May 1st, Sunday morning, we had a program at Stony Run Mission Church. This is the second time we’ve been there. We definitely enjoyed being with Pastor Nick Smith and the congregation there.
On the way home, we stopped at a park to play and eat our lunch.
Nothing like a good climbing tree for boys with lots of energy!
Four quartets and yummy food make for a great night! On March 12, Saturday evening, Garment of Praise hosted a quartet night at Bethany Grace Fellowship in Terre Hill, PA. They invited Unshackled and Testify, both local groups, to join them in singing for the evening. The offering went toward sending the juniors and seniors of Fairview Christian School to Nicaragua on a missions trip in May.
Special highlight was three quartets singing together at the beginning and ending of the program.
Brian did a great job of organizing the event.We had a small "band" accompanying the men on one song, "Wedding Music".Bryce is learning to play bass guitar for the best teacher you could ask for--his dad!
Mr. Dave Nolt--our sound guy for the night, also teaches at Fairview Christian School.
The evening consisted of the groups singing together, then Testify, followed by Unshackled. The high school of Fairview Christian School sang “Alpha and Omega”, then Garment of Praise wrapped up the night. Another quartet from Tidings of Peace in York, PA, came and sang a few numbers also.
After the program, there was a delicious dessert buffet in the basement. The parents of the juniors and seniors donated a variety of yummy desserts for people to choose from. Everyone had fun picking out a little bit of different kinds. Wouldn’t it be great if this was after EVERY Garment of Praise program?!
A scrumptious rasberry, walnut, mousse delight!
Danish--made by Mrs. Martin, the monitor in the high school
Chocolate Fudge--created by the home ec students at the schoolLemon Meringue, Coconut Creme, Apple, Ground Cherry, Shoofly... just to name a few!Chocolate Mocha Torte... are you drooling yet?And... last but not least, cute little whoopie pies!
Thanks to all the moms, students, faculty, and quartets that made the night a success! The students were able to raise what they were hoping, thanks to everyone who attended. Every bit of help was appreciated!
We will be having a program in Belleville, PA with the Stutzman family this Sunday night, March 20. This was not listed on the original schedule, but is on now. If you need any more information or directions, contact Earl Yoder (814) 441-0357.
Garment of Praise is hosting a quartets night in Terre Hill, PA at Bethany Grace Fellowship on March 12, 2011. Program will start at 7:00 pm and will feature:
UNSHACKLEDTESTIFYGARMENT OF PRAISE
Come and enjoy an evening of good music and fellowship. Refreshments will be served afterwards. All proceeds from the evening will benefit the Fairview Christian School Junior/Senior mission trip to Nicaragua.
Any questions: Fairview Christian School 610-372-8826
We haven’t had a program in quite a while, so it was great to hit the road again and SING! We always have plenty of busyness going on without Garment of Praise programs, but we still miss it. We’ve been working on getting a new sound system that works for us, and we’ve also been working on a couple new songs to add to our programs, and, eventually, record on our new CD. Our church, Fairview Mennonite Church, which we all attend, has been practicing weekly for a few chorus programs in the area–with Brian Fox directing most of the music. So, our plates are full… and overflowing!
Trying to get the new board to work for us
Now... which cord goes where?
It’s always good to get out and sing through the songs, and visit with our friends in churches. Last Sunday night, February 27, we sang near Elizabethtown, PA, at Risser’s Mennonite Church. We felt a little rough around the edges, but it definitely was fun to harmonize, praise God, and work together again!
Risser's Mennonite ChurchBrian--before the programWe sang "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" in the aisle again.
Daryl and Renita's baby, Darien (4 months) attended his first program!
We’re looking at getting busier in the next few months! We have some more Garment of Praise programs coming soon, but our church chorus, which we are all a part of, is doing a few programs in March and April also.
We did not have this program on the original schedule: Life Ministries Banquet at Shady Maple Banquet Facilities in New Holland on Monday evening, March 28, 2011. Garment of Praise singing and appetizers will be at 6:00pm. Dinner and program to follow. See more information following. Make sure to reserve a spot–we’ll see you there!
Daryl Petersheim family welcomed its newest member on Thursday, October 21, 2010. Darien Chase weighed in at 7 lbs 12 oz and 22 inches long. They are thanking God for a healthy boy and a timely delivery. All the family is enjoying him, and Renita and baby Darien are doing well. He joins siblings Whitney (10), Guy (8), Chrissy (5), and Jacob (4).
The secret is unleashed–who the true slackers are on the bus!
Brian does a great job of driving the bus!Dan is too young yet to drive the bus, according to our insurance--but you can tell he's anxious to take the wheel!No, this isn't Bob the Builder. It's Jason getting ready to take the wheel for the next shift.
The lone survivor of the sunny afternoon trip. (He was resting his eyes one at a time.)
Everyone truly does pitch in on the bus–driving, cleaning up (not too often), providing snacks, and generally keeping a good attitude. We have a lot of fun and thank God for safety!
Its been a busy last three months, but you couldn’t tell that by the amount of website activity, could you? Its about time for some updates; to let you know where we’ve been singing, what we’ve been doing, and to thank you for remembering us as a quartet in your prayers. We appreciate it when we’re on the road for safety, and while we’re singing, that God would encourage the church.
In August, we had a Sunday morning program at Life Mennonite Fellowship, and an evening service at Myerstown Mennonite Church. The latter was supposed to be an outdoor “park” singing, but since it was raining, we sang indoors, and had a good evening anyway. At the end of August, like we do every other year, the guys sang several times throughout the day at Country Fest, down in Accident, Maryland. The men did a one day trip down and back, so the families didn’t go along this time.
Also in August–kind of unrelated to the Garment of Praise, but, yet, it affects us so much– Fairview Mennonite Church had a deacon ordination. Several years ago, Marcus Fox was ordained to this position, but when we ordained a new minister last fall, Marcus was called and ordained as pastor, thus creating a need for a new deacon. On August 22nd, the church received nominations, and Jason Fox’s name was one of the men nominated. One week later, Jason did receive the call to become our deacon, and was ordained to this position. Will this create changes within the quartet? Only God knows, but as for now, we are “going on with the song”, joyfully, and with as much enthusiasm as ever. Jason loves to sing, and continues on as our contact person, also.
On the first day of September, the quartet had the exciting, new privilege of singing at the Blue Mountain Gospel Music Festival in Lebanon, PA. This used to be in Kempton, PA, and held fond memories for the “older” members of the quartet. This was where they watched their favorite Southern Gospel groups sing when they were teenagers. Garden Spot Promotions puts on the 5-day event, and we were humbled by the opportunity to participate in the Wednesday evening concert with the Allen family, the Down East Boys, and the Greenes. Danny Jones, of the Singing News magazine, was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
The GOP was the only a cappella group at the singing, but they were well-received.
The Allen family's youngest son (age 4) sang "Amazing Grace" like a pro.
The rest of September we had a few programs–Fairmount Homes Auction and Word of Life Mennonite Church in Lititz, PA. We had a program scheduled at Sonlight Christian Fellowship for the 18th, but rescheduled that for October 3rd.
Also in September, the Brian Fox family and Daryl Petersheim and his wife, Renita, visited the National Quartet Convention in Louisville, KY. They didn’t have any part in the convention, but enjoyed the other groups’ singing and ministry during each evening concert and the daytime showcases. It was special to hear the Kingdom Heirs sing “The Empty Tomb Says It All”, the song Daryl penned and won the 2008 songwriters contest with.
The Kingdom Heirs, from Pigeon Forge, TN, singing "The Empty Tomb Says It All".
Our October singings are not finished yet–it’s been a busy month already! October 2nd, we sang at the kick-off night for the Manheim Farm Show. What an encouragement to see a town’s farm show start out with a Gospel concert! The next Sunday night we took the bus to an evening program, Sonlight Christian Fellowship, out near Hanover, PA. Thankfully, this time we remembered the sound system! The following Saturday and Sunday, we also had programs. Saturday night was a local gospel sing-along in Fleetwood, PA, only a few miles from Daryl’s home.
Wendell Yoder, Daryl's former boss, helps to organize the Annual Gospel Sing-Along. This was the 7th annual.
Wendell's group, The Keystone Mountain Way, backed up the Garment of Praise singing "I'll Fly Away", by Brian's request.Our children played outside during some of the informal sing-along, but they were happy to listen to Ryan Zimmerman of the Roland Zimmerman family. One of their favorite parts was when he played his "paper bag".
Also performing that day were the Revival Rivers (Martin and Jen McPherson) and the Stony Mountain Gang. It was a very diverse group sharing Christ; praise and worship music, bluegrass, and a cappella. A wonderful fellowship meal was provided half-way through the program.
Sunday evening we boarded the bus again–this time to Chambersburg, PA, to the Shanks Church of the Brethren. Thanks to the hosts for the fun evening of singing, the snack afterwards, and the food they sent home with us!
The bus, although looking a little decrepit, did a great job of delivering us to Shanks Church of the Brethren, and returning us home around 1:00 am.
Danny "wore the pants" for the evening (tan pants instead of black like the other guys)--due to a wardrobe malfunction.
Continue to remember us in prayer as we finish out the year of 2010. We have two banquets/concerts still coming up in October, the 26th and the 30th. We’d love to have you join us. The guys also squeezed in a recording date in October. Recording is coming along slow, but sure. We have no projected date for completion yet.
Here are two great evening concerts and banquets coming up that Garment of Praise will be singing at. We hope you can come and support at least one of these two ministries.
Oct. 26 Tuesday is the Living Hope International Ministries Banquet and Singspiration at Shady Maple Banquet Facilities in Blue Ball, PA –5:30 pm. Reservations required. Meal costs are covered by individuals and businesses; a love offering will be received for the work of the ministry in Ghana, Africa –evangelism, caring for orphans, school projects, medical care, and church planting. For reservations or for more information contact Daniel Glick at 717-768-8034. Singspiration by Good News and Garment of Praise. Oct. 30 Saturday is a Carlisle Truck Stop Chaplain Ministry Benefit Banquet/Concert at Chambersburg Church of the Brethren – 6:00 p.m. Full course Roast Beef & Ham Loaf dinner with homemade rolls and pies. Banquet Tickets are $10.00. Ticket Deadline is October 23. For tickets call, 717-328-2971 or 717-369-2361. Evening Concert with Cumberland Valley Quartet and Garment of Praise Quartet.
