Four Christian communities at the foot of the Jura mountains in western Switzerland have jointly invited the Rochette Gospel Choir to give a concert in the great hall of Apples on 31 October. The invitation comes from the Reformed parish, the Catholic Church, the Stadtmission and the Église En Chemin, a Free Evangelical congregation in Ballens. The choir, known as Celebrate, brings about one hundred singers to the stage with a programme that ranges from “Your God Is an Awesome God” to “Holy Is the Lamb”.
The four churches already hold a common ecumenical service each spring and have worked together in the past on Christian witness projects, including concerts and stage productions. Jonathan Schmutz, pastor of the Église En Chemin in Ballens, described “a good spirit of collaboration and camaraderie” among the communities. The idea for this concert grew from his wife Marie's experience as a chorister with the Rochette choir and from his own first attempt at choral singing, and it was quickly welcomed by the other churches.
The organisers say gospel music is joyful and accessible and brings believers and non-believers together, making the concert an easy occasion for Christians to invite friends and colleagues. The hall seats 400 people, and admission is free but registration is required. Booklets with French translations of the songs will be distributed so that non-English speakers can follow the lyrics, and a collection will be taken at the end of the evening.
(Originally published in French. Summary translated by CC / Connexion.)
Source: LaFree — Free Evangelical Churches of Switzerland — lafree.ch/gospel-la-chorale-de-la-rochette-invitee-pour-un-concert-au-pied-du-jura
