Annual Floyd Gospel Sing is Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6-7

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The annual Floyd Gospel Sing will be held Friday, Sept. 6, and Saturday, Sept. 7, featuring 20 gospel soloists, families and groups from around the country.

The event takes place at the Floyd Community Center Park and will begin at 9:45 each morning and continue to about 8:30 each evening, with the acts rotating in 20-minute sets.

The event has been held since 1995, when the Rev. Paul and Dixie Phillips of the Gospel Lighthouse Church began bringing southern gospel music to north Iowa. Dixie Phillips is herself an award-winning songwriter and author.

All proceeds after expenses from the Gospel Sing are used to support the Lighthouse Academy, a Christian K-12 school in Floyd that was started in 1988.

“Each year, the financial resources from the Sing have helped keep tuition costs low and provided a quality, affordable Christian education for many families,” the Rev. Paul and Dixie Phillips said.

Each of the visiting performers or groups will appear two or three times throughout the Gospel Sing weekend.

Performers expected are:

• The Browns, Le Mars.
• The Chitans, McDonough, Georgia.
• Larry Delawder Family, Mathias, West Virginia.
• Divinity Trio, New Castle, Indiana.
• Mark Dubbeld Family, Moneta, Virginia.
• Garms Family, Arkansaw, Wisconsin.
• Justified Quartet, Akron, Michigan.
• The Klassens, Worthington, Minnesota.
• Liberty Belles, Columbia, Missouri.
• Lighthouse Academy, Floyd.
• New Legacy, Bloomington, Illinois.
• Mary Anne Oglesby Sutherly, Nashville, Tennessee.
• Reconciled, Red Oak.
• Redeeming the Time, Floyd.
• Galen Roberts, Floyd.
• Sacred Call, Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.
• SaltLight, Waverly.
• Saratoga Boys, Saratoga.
• Don Shire, Bedford, Virginia.
• Voice of Truth Quartet, Neosho, Missouri.

Food will be served by the Lighthouse Academy inside the Gospel Lighthouse Church from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days. In case of rain, the Gospel Sing will be moved from the park into the Gospel Lighthouse Church.

The schedule for the weekend is:

FRIDAY, SEPT. 6

• 9:45 a.m. – Welcome by Pastor Paul Phillips.
• 10 a.m. – Lighthouse Academy.
• 10:20 a.m. – Galen Roberts.
• 10:40 a.m. – Reconciled.
• 11 a.m. – Liberty Belles.
• 11:20 a.m. – The Klassens.
• 11:40 a.m. – The Chitans.
• Noon – One Hour Lunch Break.
• 1 p.m. – Garms Family.
• 1:20 p.m. – Divinity Trio.
• 1:40 p.m. – Larry Delawder Family.
• 2 p.m. – Sacred Call.
• 2:20 p.m. – Justified Quartet.
• 2:40 p.m. – Mark Dubbeld Family.
• 3 p.m. – Redeeming the Time.
• 3:20 p.m. – New Legacy.
• 3:40 p.m. – Don Shire.
• 4 p.m. – SaltLight.
• 4:20 p.m. – Voice of Truth Quartet.
• 4:40 p.m. – Mary Anne Oglesby Sutherly.
• 5 p.m. – One Hour Supper Break.
• 6 p.m. – Garms Family.
• 6:20 p.m. – Justified Quartet.
• 6:40 p.m. – The Chitans.
• 7 p.m. – Divinity Trio.
• 7:20 p.m. – Mark Dubbeld Family.
• 7:40 p.m. – Voice of Truth Quartet.
• 8 p.m. – New Legacy.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 7

• 9:45 a.m. – Devotions by Pastor Paul Phillips.
• 10 a.m. – Saratoga Boys.
• 10:20 a.m. – Larry Delawder Family.
• 10:40 a.m. – Sacred Call.
• 11 a.m. – Mary Anne Oglesby Sutherly.
• 11:20 a.m. – The Chitans.
• 11:40 a.m. – Voice of Truth Quartet.
• Noon – One Hour Lunch Break.
• 1 p.m. – The Browns.
• 1:20 p.m. – Justified Quartet.
• 1:40 p.m. – Mark Dubbeld Family.
• 2 p.m. – New Legacy.
• 2:20 p.m. – Liberty Belles.
• 2:40 p.m. – Don Shire.
• 3 p.m. – Redeeming the Time.
• 3:20 p.m. – Garms Family.
• 3:40 p.m. – SaltLight.
• 4 p.m. – The Chitans.
• 4:20 p.m. – Reconciled.
• 4:40 p.m. – The Klassens.
• 5 p.m. – One Hour Supper Break.
• 6 p.m. – The Browns.
• 6:20 p.m. – Larry Delawder Family.
• 6:40 p.m. – Justified Quartet.
• 7 p.m. – Sacred Call.
• 7:20 p.m. – Don Shire.
• 7:40 p.m. – Mark Dubbeld Family.
• 8 p.m. – Grand Finale.

In addition, many of the performers arrive early or stay after the event to appear at area churches. That schedule is:

Thursday, Sept. 5

• The Chitans – 7 p.m., Riverview Conference Center, Cedar Falls.
• Justified Quartet – 7 p.m., Saratoga Community Church, Lime Springs.

Sunday, Sept. 8

• The Chitans – 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Mason City.
• Don Shire – 9 a.m., Grace United Methodist Church, Floyd.
• Garms Family – 5 p.m., Lakewood Worship Center, Maplewood, Minnesota.
• Justified Quartet – 10:15 a.m., Hanford Community Open Bible Church, Mason City.
• The Klassens – 10:30 a.m., First Baptist Church, Mason City.
• Larry Delawder Family – 9:15 a.m., Messiah Lutheran Church, Charles City.
• Liberty Belles – 9 a.m., United Methodist Church, New Hampton.
• Mark Dubbeld Family – 10:30 a.m., Gospel Lighthouse Church, Floyd.
• New Legacy – 10 a.m., First Baptist Church, Plainfield.
• Reconciled – 10 a.m., First Baptist Church, Charles City.
• Sacred Call – 10 a.m., St. John Evangelical Lutheran-Vilmar, Greene; 6 p.m., Faith United Methodist Church, Rockwell.
• Voice of Truth – 10 a.m., Calvary Evangelistic Center, Independence; 6 p.m., Heritage Assembly of God Church, Des Moines.