EVANGELION TO LAUNCH BALTIC TOUR NEXT MONTH

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MAY 2016
News from Music in World Cultures
EVANGELION TO LAUNCH
BALTIC TOUR NEXT MONTH
MIWC PARTNERING FOR JUNE TOUR OF
LITHUANIA, LATVIA & ESTONIA
EVANGELION EXPANDS FROM UKRAINIAN TOUR ROOTS
The Tallinn, Estonia skyline – one of the Baltic cities Evangelion will head to this year
Founded in 1994 by artistic director Dennis Port (pictured), Evangelion Chorale –
usually called Evangelion /ee-van-GAL-yin/ for short, has a long history of music
ministry in various regions of Ukraine, working in tandem with MIWC in recent
years.
With 10 Ukrainian tours under its belt, the group’s last visit fell in 2012, not long
before the Russian annexation of Crimea and following invasion of eastern Ukraine.
These significant and devastating political events resulted in a re-definition of the
purpose and locational mission of Evangelion, and a subsequent decision to redeploy
to other parts of the world.
Since the mission of Evangelion
complements the music missions
work done by MIWC so well, MIWC
is partnering with Evangelion for
this trip with the long-term vision of
the chorale becoming an ongoing
outreach ministry of MIWC.
The new territory for Evangelion in
2016 centers around the three
capitals of the Baltic States – Vilnius
(Lithuania); Riga (Latvia); Tallinn
(Estonia). This is a part of the world
that reveres choral music and boasts a profound love of singing.
In Lithuania, Evangelion will sing its opening concert for the Alytus Music Festival in
St. Casimir’s Church and later that same evening in nearby Kaunas at Mission of
Christ Church. Heading into Latvia, the group will sing in Jelgava for the Latvian
Baptist Church, and in the capital city Riga for a concert in St. Matthew’s Church.
Upon arrival in Estonia, the group will travel to Tartu for Sunday morning worship
at Salem Baptist Church and will complete the tour in Tallinn in the famous St. Olaf’s
Church, and in a spontaneous performance at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
MIWC president Stephen Benham and operations director Kris Benham put together
the tour itinerary along with tremendous assistance from Tallinn-based MIWC
Associate Serhiy Bilokin.
Evangelion’s program includes a varied and impressive a cappella program of music
created by composers from multiple countries. It includes three sets: Psalms,
European Classics, and American Hymns and Spirituals.
MIWC Board member Tim Sawyer
(pictured) serves as the associate
conductor of Evangelion, and sings
tenor in the ensemble.
“This is one of the best choirs I’ve
sung with in many years,” Sawyer
said. “Singing such an amazing
sacred choral repertoire with so
many like-minded believers is such a
rare treat, and I know our audiences
are going to enjoy this program.”
The group’s only American concert
will be a bon voyage concert on
Sunday, June 19 at 7:00pm at the
Church of St. Odilia, 3495 Victoria
Street North, in Shoreview, Minnesota. Admission is free and an offering will be
taken to help with tour expenses.
Keep up to date on Evangelion's tour by following their page on Facebook.
Evangelion, from the Greek meaning "good news," is a Minnesota-based professional choral ensemble
that seeks to enlighten, enrich, and inspire its audiences with sacred classical repertoire sung to the
glory of God.
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ESTONIA MINISTRY UPDATE
YOUTH CONFERENCE LEADS TO DESIRE FOR MORE TRAINING
Serhiy Bilokin speaks at conference in Khotla–Järve, Estonia
When MIWC Associate Serhiy Bilokin relocated his growing family to Estonia earlier
this year, it began to lay the groundwork for an MIWC Europe operation.
The Estonia Project, which began in 2005, came directly out of MIWC's work in
Ukraine.
In April, Bilokin and other Baptist church leaders, hosted a youth conference in
Khotla–Järve, Estonia for the Russian–speaking churches in the region.
After the conference, church
elders approached Bilokin and
asked him to plan regular
seminars for musicians in each
region of the country. The elders
desired that musicians across
Estonia would be able to gain an
understanding of the biblical
view of the role of music in the
church and that they would be
encouraged to study more.
Bilokin was also able to meet
with the head of the Estonian
Baptist Union, Erki Tamm, to
talk about working together with
the Estonian churches.
Please keep the Bilokin family in
your prayers as they eagerly
await the upcoming birth of
their second child.
Young David Bilokin on the keyboard following in his father's musical footsteps
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MIWC'S JAMES JANZEN CURRENTLY
SERVING IN UKRAINE AND GERMANY
UKRAINE MINISTRY SEES WAR AFFECTING ALL CITIZENS
MIWC Associate James Janzen
(pictured left with wife, Walli) is
spending late spring in Europe,
focusing his ministry work in several
different cities.
Janzen arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine in
early May and before heading to
Germany.
Shortly after arriving in Ukraine,
Janzen said he experienced a very "strong confirmation of God’s call - the need to
provide good biblically based resources in the area of music, creativity and worship."
"Much needs to be done," Janzen said, adding, "It is clear that I must continue to
pour my energies into providing such desperately needed resources."
Among those resources is Janzen's book, Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs - The
Road to Unity and Spiritual Maturity, for which he is currently seeking a qualified
translator while MIWC's Vitaliy Bolgar and other ministry partners work on the
logistics of the book's corresponding DVD series.
Another MIWC Ukraine Associate, Olexander Korchevniy, is also translating
Janzen's History of Sacred Music textbook into Russian.
These two works are just part of Janzen's focus on making sound biblical worship
teaching available across Ukraine.
Janzen asked for prayer for the country, saying that in Ukraine, "No one is
untouched by death, displacement, uncertainty, economic challenges and the effects
of war. Yet the believers would want you to know that this translates into hunger for
God and truth and a seriousness about life and following God. They ask you to pray
for their faithfulness in being a witness, for many to come to Christ and for
young people to commit their life to God."
ON TO GERMANY AND EBTC
Thomas Hochstetter giving an overview of the music training program at EBTC while at the
Hirtenkonferenz.
After Ukraine and in between two full weeks of ministry in Germany, Janzen also
participated in the Hirtenkonferenz (or Shepherds Conference) May 19–21 at the
European Bible Training Center in Wittenberg as a representative of MIWC. The
conference is a gathering of pastors, elders and men in training from many different
churches seeking inspiration, fellowship and exposition of the Word of God.
MIWC's history with the EBTC began in 2014, when Janzen committed to helping
the school build a music ministry training program – Musikdienst.
Janzen's main role at Hirtenkonferenz was to rehearse and conduct the men's choir,
while also continuing to support the EBTC's Thomas Hochstetter as he develops and
launches Musikdienst.
Follow James Janzen on Twitter for the latest updates from his trip.
CONCERT BENEFITS UKRAINIAN
MILITARY FAMILIES
CHURCHES WORKING TO HELP FAMILIES OF FALLEN SOLDIERS
On May 15, church musicians from Kyiv, Ukraine hosted a benefit concert for
families who have lost soldiers in the ongoing war with Russia.
MIWC's Vitaliy Bolgar said everything came together for the event, which featured
more than 100 singers, a full orchestra and a hall filled to capacity.
Military chaplains from several churches in the Kyiv region work with the families of
those soldiers who died and left children fatherless. Many of those families attended
the concert as well as families who live at the poverty level.
Gifts were provided to all of the children thanks to the Billy Graham Evangelical
Association.
UKRAINIAN MINISTRY BUSY WITH OUTREACH
MAY EVENTS INCLUDE CONFERENCES, CONCERTS AND
FELLOWSHIP
Before the May 15 military family benefit concert, the MIWC Ukrainian team was
busy with several other ministry events.
Among those were a music conference at Kyiv Central Baptist Church (pictured
above), an orchestra performance in Brovary, a church choir concert in Hutsa and a
group prayer time with the elders and pastors of the local Kyiv churches.
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any item from the Jamaica Theological
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Wishlist:
Mixing board for chapel
Soundproof
MUSIC & MEDIA
DEPARTMENT WISHLIST
5 Adobe Suite
5 Desktop MAC computers
loaded with Musition,
Aurelia, Sibelius/Finale,
Reason
5 M audio midi interface
keyboards
1 camcorder
3 Yamaha DGX-230
portable keyboard with
stands and sustain pedals
Electric guitar
Bass guitar
rehearsal/recording studio
Adjustable piano stool
Piano
Drum practice pads
Djembe drum
Congo drum
2 Rhythm & Pitch: An
Integrated Approach to
Sight Singing by John
Stevenson
2 The World of Music by
David Willoughby
Guitar amplifier (EM275)
15-inch Samson speaker
box
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