Gospel

Gospel legend Sandi Patty is coming to the Maryland Theatre Friday, Nov. 23, for the opening date of her "Christmas Celebration Tour" with Jason Crabb. During a phone chat this week from her home in Oklahoma City, Okla., we purposefully avoided the same old questions she's been asked many times before and dug deep for some off-the-beaten-path tidbits from her illustrious career. (Some comments have been edited for length.) HERALD-MAIL: So Jason Crabb - how did this come about?

PS150 plays to a crowd of about 60 people in the band shell at Hagerstown City Park during a Gospel In The Park concert Wednesday evening.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Five Forks Brethren in Christ Church was a whirlwind of activity Sunday: Juggling pins, unicycles and balloon hats flew across the room where worship services are normally held. Between their entertaining antics, members of the Fitz Family Ministry subtly incorporated the Gospel message that everyone should let their God-given talents shine. The talents of the Fitz Family - the stage name of the Schoepp family - were clear during the three-hour-long performances at the Waynesboro church.

The Boonsboro Family Worship Center will host a Friday Night Gospel Sing today at 7 p.m. The Guilford Station Bluegrass Gospel Band will be the featured group. For more information, call Buddy Harne at 301-797-5287. The Boonsboro Family Worship Center is at 7605 Old National Pike, Boonsboro.

HAGERSTOWN - Karen Brockington drove 90 minutes "in the cold" Friday night to see CeCe Winans perform for the first time at The Maryland Theatre. "I came from Hyattsville (Md.), just because I love CeCe," Brockington said of the Grammy award-winning gospel artist. "I think she's an awesome example in the industry. She's a true anointed woman of God," said Brockington, who has seen Winans perform "quite a few" times. Describing herself as "big supporter" of the singer, Brockington said she owns every compact disc the artist has made.

marlob@herald-mail.com Looking back on her earliest childhood memories, Jenny Wilt sees that her life has been defined by her love of gospel music and her faith in God. "Since my father was a minister, I played piano at his church - Wilson Chapel - many times when I was growing up," Wilt said. Wilt took up the piano when she was about 10 years old after a brief flirtation with the accordion. "I took accordion lessons for a while but switched to piano because the adult accordion was too heavy for me," she said.

Hagerstown couple tours the world to spread Gospel By ANDREA BROWN-HURLEY andreabh@herald-mail.com If prayers and hugs could change the world, the Revs. Mike and Kathleen Kianetski of Hagerstown would be off to a good start. The evangelist founders of Young at Heart Ministries travel the globe spreading the Gospel, teaching Christian church leaders and youth, and ministering to people in need. The Kianetskis know their work alone won't erase the rampant poverty they've seen in India or the civil unrest they've witnessed in Israel, but "you never know if one person you might touch will impact a whole nation," said Kathleen Kianetski, 49. She and her husband do their part to spread love and knowledge in "God's big world," they said, hoping to help young people and church leaders in such places as India, Mexico and Mauritius - a tiny island off South Africa - better understand Christianity so they can in turn help those around them by putting Christian principles into practice.

Mount Airy Full Gospel Church, 13949 Penn Shop Road, Mount Airy, Md., Michael English will be in concert Sunday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m., with a program of Southern gospel and contemporary Christian music.

Church to hold gospel sing Samples Manor Church of God, at 2128 Harpers Ferry Road, will hold a Memorial Day gospel sing Sunday at 2:30 p.m., featuring Danny Higgins. A freewill offering will be taken to benefit the church cemetery.  For directions, call 304-616-1437.   Tent meeting planned Samples Manor Church of God will hold an outdoor tent meeting and hymn sing Friday, May 31 to June 2. The Rev. Harold Bowman will preach Friday, May 31, at 7:30 p.m. Gospel music and singing will be provided Saturday, June 1, from 1 to 5 p.m. by Richard and Mary Fox, Wayne Gooden, “the one-armed guitarist” Kenny Johnson, Dennis McKinney and the Samples Manor Singers and musicians.

There will be a gospel music concert by the Back Creek Valley Boys on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Mount Zion Church, 14336 Greencastle Pike, Cearfoss. Admission is free and a goodwill offering will be taken for the group.  A basket will be placed in the front of the church for contributions for the cemetery maintenance fund. Refreshments will be served following the concert. Women's Club news • The Women's Club, at 31 S. Prospect St., will sponsor a house and garden tour in Hagerstown on Saturday, June 1. Eight houses will be on tour, including some on Oak Hill Avenue and South Prospect Street.

Craftsmen and direct sales vendors will have their items on display and for sale. Live music. Lou Scally will attend from 10 a.m. to noon. Event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Coffman Nursing Home, 1304 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown, behind the Health Department. Free. Call 301-733-2914 or email bsimmers@coffmannursinghome.com . Saturday Plus: Severe weather Brittany Beggs, HMTV6 meteorologist, will present “Severe Weather Discussion: The ingredients necessary, and the difference between storm watches and warnings.” 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Jacobs Brothers, a gospel trio from Dillsburg, Pa., will sing Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m. at Virginia Avenue Baptist Church, 17426 Virginia Ave.  The group has specialized in traditional and sacred music since forming in 1962. A free-will offering will be taken. For more information, call Barb Hose at 301-733-0326.   Musical performance A musical preview is planned at Valley Mall on Saturday, April 13.  “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” presented by the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. near the food court.

Former Elvis tribute artist Kevin Booth of Martinsburg, W.Va., picked Valentine's Day to give his first performance as a gospel singer Thursday. Booth performed at the Valentine's Day event for members of the Senior Center at Girls, Inc. Thursday afternoon. “They called me to do an Elvis program a couple months ago, so I explained to them I was no longer doing Elvis but I was doing gospel, and (they) said to come down and do Gospel then,” Booth said. “I've been in the country music field, and I always felt this calling to do gospel music.” During the performance he shared his experiences that led him to becoming a gospel singer, including working in the country music industry for 15 years and recording his own music, marrying his wife BillieJo at Graceland in Memphis in August 2007, and his experience as an Elvis tribute artist.

It's not just the millions of records he sold or the movies he made that rendered Elvis Presley immortal. His legend also lives on through the performances of tribute artists who try to capture the music icon's aura. Clad in leather jackets and jewel-studded jumpsuits, they curl their lips and shake a leg, wooing the faithful who show up at banquets, nightclubs and even churches to catch a glimpse of the faux King. It's almost as if Elvis has never left the building. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then Mr. Presley must be very pleased.

Brittany Clopper stood in front of her childhood home in Smithsburg watching Santa parade by on an antique fire engine. The 24-year-old, who now lives in Cascade with her husband, Ben, held her daughter, Remie, 2, in her arms. “She wanted to see Santa,” Clopper said. Clopper remembers watching parades pass her house as a girl and said it was nice to share the tradition with her own child. “We still know a lot of people in the parade,” she said. “It's a small-town thing.” The parade featuring Old St. Nick was one part of the Smithsburg Hometown Christmas celebration Friday and Saturday at various locations throughout the town.

Gospel legend Sandi Patty is coming to the Maryland Theatre Friday, Nov. 23, for the opening date of her "Christmas Celebration Tour" with Jason Crabb. During a phone chat this week from her home in Oklahoma City, Okla., we purposefully avoided the same old questions she's been asked many times before and dug deep for some off-the-beaten-path tidbits from her illustrious career. (Some comments have been edited for length.) HERALD-MAIL: So Jason Crabb - how did this come about?

Bridge of Life , Al and Sherry Thomas will speak at an Aglow International meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, in the church's annex room. Go to www.celebratinghislife.com. The Church of God and Saints of Christ , Evangelical minister, Joseph Stieff will be the guest speaker at the gospel revival meeting at 7:30  p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, and 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10.

  The Maryland Theatre announced that the concert for Harlem Gospel Choir originally scheduled for Friday, Oct. 19, has been postponed until March 8, 2013. For more information, go to www.mdtheatre.org .