Posted on

Floyd Gospel Sing this weekend a musical hit for all to enjoy

Hundreds of people relax in lawn chairs, listening to gospel music at the 2017 Floyd Gospel Sing. Press file photo by Bob Steenson
Hundreds of people relax in lawn chairs, listening to gospel music at the 2017 Floyd Gospel Sing. Press file photo by Bob Steenson
By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

The message is in the lyrics and the spirit is uplifted — that’s the power of song.

So pull up a lawn chair and take part in what has become an annual tradition at the Floyd Community Park this Friday and Saturday.

The 24th Annual Floyd Gospel Sing will feature more than 25 singers and groups who will provide music that should bring a smile to any listener’s ears this weekend.

Lighthouse Gospel Church Pastor Paul Phillips and his wife, Dixie, started the celebration of music and harmony in 1995 that brings together acts from such places as Nashville, North Carolina, Virginia and Texas.

Paul said he remembers the first gospel sing 23 years ago when about 100 people showed up to celebrate their faith and listen to inspirational Christian music.

“We went ahead and did it that first year. I don’t even know if we broke even or not,” said Phillips, who took over as pastor at the Lighthouse in 1981. “It just grew.”

Now as many as 1,400 people have flocked to Floyd for the two-day event, where music is the focal point and fellowship helps unite the souls.

“It’s an outreach of our church. We get out of the four walls and we go out and we’re able to sing and testify to our faith and our belief in God,” said Phillips.

The gospel sing is free to attend and also helps raise money for the Lighthouse Academy Christian School, which the Phillips built in 1988. Paul said there are 52 students in the school this year and many of them will kick off the festivities Friday morning with their song and testament.

Many of the groups are invited by surrounding churches to worship and praise through song at their services the following Sunday.

“They sing in churches coming up here and they sing in churches going back,” said Phillips. ”They just kind of fan out. They’ll go to Rockford, Osage, Mason City, Charles City — a lot of different places. Methodist churches, Lutheran churches, all denominations.”

The population of Floyd — 335, according to the 2010 Census — grows by a considerable rate when the music starts up near the community center in town.

“You bring in a thousand people, it’s a big deal,” Phillips said.

Where there’s music, there’s generally food. Whether it’s fresh–squeezed lemonade, homemade pie, cheeseburgers or brats, there won’t be too many that go hungry at this get-together.

“We’ve got pulled pork BBQ that’s out of this world,” said Phillips.

Noted performers at the music festival will be the Williamsons, who hail from Weleetka, Oklahoma, Paul’s Journey from Texas and The Mark Dubbeld Family from Virginia.

The southern gospel group, The Liberty Belles, will travel up from Columbia, Missouri, to perform on Friday. Other performers in attendance — just to name a few — are Reconciled, The Preacher’s Daughters, The Saratoga Boys and Tonia Rose.

“We have some very dedicated groups that come pretty much every year,” said Phillips. “They’ve made it their annual trip to northern Iowa.”

Rain pushed the gospel sing inside two years ago. The heavy rainfall that started the week in northern Iowa looks to have subsided, so it should be an all-clear for dry weather during the festival. Even if some sprinkles do make it to the ground, Phillips and his crew will be ready. They’ve seen plenty of what Mother Nature has dished out over the years when it comes to inclement weather.

“We’ve seen hail. We’ve seen sleet, rain, thunderstorms,” Phillips said.

“Plan B” is to head to the Lighthouse Church if the outside conditions are not suitable for a concert.

Phillips said he is happy to touch the hearts of all through the many songs that will be sung.

“It’s a blessing for people to serve others and take care of the people that come. It’s also a blessing to them to know that people care for them and go the extra mile in providing for them,” he said.

Floyd Gospel Sing

Friday, Sept. 7

  • 9:45 a.m. – Welcome, Pastor Paul Phillips
  • 10 a.m. – Lighthouse Academy, Floyd
  • 10:20 a.m. – Galen Roberts, Floyd
  • 10:40 a.m. – Three Redeemed, Floyd
  • 11 a.m. – 4 One Quartet, Reed City, MI
  • 11:20 a.m. – Mark Dubbeld Family, Moneta, VA
  • 11:40 a.m. – Liberty Belles, Columbia, MO
  • Noon – Lunch break
  • 1 p.m. – Bechtold Family, Marion
  • 1:20 p.m. – The Williamsons, Weleetka, OK
  • 1:40 p.m. – Blake and Jenna Bolerjack, Oklahoma City, OK
  • 2 p.m. – Don Shire, White Lake, WI
  • 2:20 p.m. – Adam’s Call, Nashville, TN
  • 2:40 p.m. – Crimson River, Hampton, IL
  • 3 p.m. – Redeeming the Time, Floyd
  • 3:20 p.m. – Soul’d Out Quartet, Cincinnati, OH
  • 3:40 p.m. – Larry Delawder Family, Branson, MO
  • 4 p.m. – New Legacy, Bloomington, IL
  • 4:20 p.m. – 4 One Quartet, Reed City, MI
  • 4:40 p.m. – The Preacher’s Daughters, Minneapolis, MN
  • 5 p.m. – Supper break
  • 6 p.m. – Garms Family, Brahams, MN
  • 6:20 p.m. – Soul’d Out Quartet, Cincinnati, OH
  • 6:40 p.m. – The Williamsons, Weleetka, OK
  • 7 p.m. – Adam’s Call, Nashville, TN
  • 7:20 p.m. – Larry Delawder Family, Branson, MO
  • 7:40 p.m. – Forgiven Quartet, Bartlesville, OK
  • 8 p.m. – Crimson River, Hampton, IL
  • 8:20 p.m. – Hear By Faith, Hermantown, MN
  • 8:40 p.m. – Joyful Noyz, Galesburg, IL

Saturday, Sept. 8

  • 9:45 a.m. – Devotions, Pastor Paul Phillips
  • 10 a.m. – Bechtold Family, Marion
  • 10:20 a.m. – Hear By Faith, Hermantown, MN
  • 10:40 a.m. – Reconciled, Red Oak
  • 11 a.m. – Paul’s Journey, Magnolia, TX
  • 11:20 a.m. – Larry Delawder, Branson
  • 11:40 a.m. – Saratoga Boys, Saratoga
  • Noon – Lunch break
  • 1 p.m. – Garms Family, Brahams, MN
  • 1:20 p.m. – Tonia Rose, Nashville, TN
  • 1:40 p.m. – Forgiven Quartet, Bartlesville, OK
  • 2 p.m. – Don Shire, White Lake, WI
  • 2:20 p.m. – Mark Dubbeld Family, Moneta, VA
  • 2:40 p.m. – Joyful Noyz, Galesburg, IL
  • 3 p.m. – Redeeming the Time, Floyd
  • 3:20 p.m. – Adam’s Call, Nashville, TN
  • 3:40 p.m. – Larry Delawder Family, Branson, MO
  • 4 p.m. – The Preacher’s Daughters, Minneapolis, MN
  • 4:20 p.m. – Liberty Belles, Columbia, MO
  • 4:40 p.m. – Hear by Faith, Hermantown, MN
  • 5 p.m. – Supper break
  • 6 p.m. – New Legacy, Bloomington, IL
  • 6:20 p.m. – Paul’s Journey, Magnolia, TX
  • 6:40 p.m. – Mark Dubbeld Family, Moneta, VA
  • 7 p.m. – Don Shire, White Lake, WI
  • 7:20 p.m. – Blake & Jenna Bolerjack, Oklahoma City, OK
  • 7:40 p.m. – Reconciled, Red Oak
  • 8 p.m. – Forgiven Quartet, Bartlesville, OK
  • 8:20 p.m. – Grand Finale

Social Share

LATEST NEWS