Drawing Near to God in Cincinnati
Drawing Near to God in Cincinnati
by Annie Holmes
For years, I’ve heard about the excitement of Chapel Choir Mission Tours. But now I’ve gotten
to experience it for myself.
What no one tells you, and what no itinerary or rehearsal can truly prepare you for, is how quickly ordinary moments can become sacred. One minute you are unloading risers in a parking lot, and the next you're singing to a room full of strangers who suddenly feel like family. It's true that the music
fills more than just the space; it fills hearts,
including my own.
This past June, Dawson's Chapel Choir traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, for a weeklong mission trip that combined service, worship, outreach, and concerts. Our goal was to serve local communities, share the Gospel through music and conversation, and allow God to work through us in unexpected ways.
Our plan was to share God’s love through song and service. Our team of high school students led worship services, performed concerts in churches and shelter homes, and volunteered at local ministries like Matthew 25 Ministries and the Moore Activity Center.
We sang in sanctuaries, met people in need, and served with open hearts. We weren’t just performers. We were servants carrying the gospel messages of hope, peace, and love.
The road to Mission Tour didn’t start in Cincinnati, but started long before. Each week leading up to our departure, we gathered to practice our music and prepare our hearts. We worked through tuning up harmonies, memorizing lyrics, and working every transition, not just for performance but also to worship from our hearts. We met weekly, refining a list of more than eleven songs (and even more for Ensemble and Jazz Band). Getting the music right was important, but it wasn’t everything.
Spiritually, we knew we weren’t just preparing to sing. We were preparing to minister. That meant preparing ourselves through prayer, reading Scripture, and having honest conversations about what it means to serve wholeheartedly.
Admittedly, some days we arrived to rehearsals distracted, discouraged, or exhausted. But the consistency of devotionals and the encouragement of our Chapel Choir Officers and our Music & Worship Pastor, John Woods, kept us focused.
As an incoming Freshman, I didn’t know how much this experience would stretch me, but it did. I felt my heart becoming more tender with every encounter. Listening to new stories of faith, serving in unfamiliar neighborhoods, and worshipping in different settings opened my eyes to the circumstances that many people face. What I thought about ministry shifted from “Go tell people about God” to “See where God is already at work and join Him there.”
I learned to listen for the meaning behind what we were singing. I became more aware of the words and how they could affect the people we were singing them to. It wasn’t just about performing, it was about being fully present and worshipping God with those around us.
Spiritually, I grew in ways that I wasn't expecting. I saw God in quiet moments on the bus, in spontaneous prayers before we sang, and in the way we laughed through the tiredness.
I remember singing at Shelter House and seeing some of the men in the crowd sing along. I thought to myself, “If the men at the homeless shelter can praise God with a grateful heart during their circumstances, then I should be praising God with a thankful heart when I have so much to be grateful for.”
The trip wasn’t without bumps. Predicted rainstorms shifted outdoor concerts indoors (turns out, there was no rain), and one of our three Kids Soccer Camps was missing something: kids. We adapted, prayed, and saw God direct every step of our way. When no kids showed up to the soccer camp at First Baptist Lebanon, we had a chance to minister to the pastor. He told us that the kids who attended the youth group at First Baptist felt forgotten and that their meeting room was not in great shape.
So we repainted it and cleaned all the tables and cabinets. He had also wanted to clean and re-polish all of the pews in the Sanctuary, but the company he contacted quoted him two thousand dollars to do it. We did it for free and finished in just two days.
Music connected us with everyone we met, from young kids dancing to the jazz band playing Praise, to elderly residents swaying along in their chairs to the Chapel Puppets. Every song we sang was chosen with care, not just for its sound but for its message. The list was a mix of new worship anthems, biblical truths, and traditional expressions of hope. Thank You Jesus for the Blood was one of our most emotional pieces. Its message of redemption came alive when we hit those harmonies, and it gave me chills. Light of the World created tender, almost sacred moments. Then songs like Bye and Bye and Jehovah brought energy and celebration. Audiences clapped, smiled, and even joined in as the music lifted the whole room.
We spent many rehearsals working on vocal blend, breath control, expression, and diction. Not for perfection’s sake, but so that nothing would distract from the message we were there to share. John challenged us to feel the music, not just sing it. We were asked to understand the “why” behind every lyric. We worked hard perfecting the music during rehearsals so that when we were singing in Cincinnati, we could focus on worshipping without having to think about what came next.
Chapel Choir Mission Tour in Cincinnati was an offering and reminder that our songs don’t end at the final measure. They continue in the lives we touched there and in the growth we carry home. Our set list wasn’t just a random collection of songs. Each one carried its own message, and together they told a story of rescue, healing, hope, and peace. What stood out most to me was how music softened hearts and started conversations.
In churches, shelters, and community centers, the music created space for connection. It invited people in. And sometimes it invited them closer to God. You could see it in the tears during Thank You Jesus for the Blood, the smiles during Bye and Bye, and the stillness that fell over the room during Light of the World. Music became our language of love, our bridge to strangers, and our offering to God.
This Chapel Choir Mission Tour changed me. I went in thinking it would be a fun trip with friends, some songs, and service. But it became something so much deeper. I found out how powerful music can be when it’s used for more than a performance. I saw people cry, smile, sing with us, or just sit quietly. And I realized that worship goes far beyond a stage.
Spiritually, I feel more grounded. I saw firsthand what it means to live out faith, not just sing about it. I started noticing how God shows up in the small stuff: a kind word from a stranger, a shared prayer before a concert, laughter when everything feels a little too chaotic.
Each morning on the bus, our devotionals helped set our hearts right. Some days, I was tired. Other days, I was distracted. But listening to The Bus Liturgy, hearing from our leaders and alumni, and praying together reminded me that missions is more than a trip. God was already ahead of us, preparing hearts, including mine, for the day. I felt Him during songs too, not just in the lyrics but in how people responded. Sometimes I’d be singing and see someone close their eyes or whisper the words with us. And I’d think, this is what it means to worship the Lord together. It wasn’t about perfect notes. It was about real presence.
Now, I haven’t just heard about it. I know for myself that this is what Chapel Choir Mission Tour is all about.
Annie Holmes attends Homewood High School as a freshman. She enjoys making banners, pet sitting, and Show Choir. Annie also loves spending time with her older sister, Sandy.