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On Sunday, July 20th Johnson City was flooded with Louisianans. The First Pentecostal Church from Denham Springs, Louisiana, youth choir came to town to share their love for God, and their passion for worshipping – with the H.O.M.E. Church on Sunday morning.

Their youth choir comprised of approximately 80 voices ranging in ages from 13 all the way to 20 something’s. This particular trip was their first musical tour in about three years, even though they have actually been on numerous tours all over the country in the past 10-15 years.

The bus full of young people left Denham Springs last Friday, and sang at a church in Victoria, TX. They then spent Saturday at Six Flags in San Antonio, before making their final stop in Johnson City on Sunday morning.

In a world that often colors young people as jaded, selfish, and apathetic – it was a tremendous opportunity to meet youth who had a different outlook on life.

When asked why she was in the youth choir, Province Hatfield stated that she “loves to meet new people, and enjoys having an opportunity to impact someone else’s life, through song and prayer”.

Siblings Stephanie Rocko, 17, and Andrew Rocko, 15, don’t just sing in the youth choir either. They stay extremely busy in the church. “I like to be involved…through Bible Quizzing, assisting the younger Sunday school classes, and Counterpoint – our youth services,” Stephanie said.

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The youth choir sang a number of contemporary worship songs, and then they began to disseminate into the congregation and pray with individuals who were worshipping.

But these young people aren’t just all business. Raelyn Jeffers explained what bus life was like on the tour. “We really have a great time on the bus. Our youth group runs around 200-300 young people, so you don’t always know everyone as well as you might like to. Traveling on a bus – you get to know everyone better than you might want to!” she said. Caleb Thorpe, 16, added “the bus is a lot of fun…we play Catch Phrase, 20 Questions, and Mafia… it’s great,” he said.

The choir’s latest album is called “Addicted to Worship 2008.” It features a number of their worship songs and is sold for $15. “I love listening to their CD,” local Johnson City resident Rebekah Sellers, 12, said. “It just makes me happy.”

You can view the Denham Springs Youth Choir website at www.fpcds.org.