Great Songs takes chapel on the road

Photo by: Will Gentry

Great Songs Chapel decided it will try something it has a never done before – personally share students’ God-given voices with other people.   

Great Songs chapel will hit the road to boost congregational singing in small, rural Oklahoma churches.

The chapel, which was started four years ago to give students an alternative singing chapel on Fridays, is now one of the most popular chapels on campus. According to Professor of Music John Fletcher, on an average Friday close to 200 students join in the Judd Theater and blend their voices in worship.  

“We started thinking last school year, that maybe there was something we can do with this,” Fletcher said. “This is great that we have Great Songs Chapel here, but perhaps it could be encouraging to other people.”

One of the reasons why Great Songs Chapel is popular is because all the student’s voices can be heard.

“I like that we sing songs that we normally don’t sing and the song leaders don’t have a microphone so you can hear everyone sing, not just the song leader,” junior Brad Eckhart said.

The Great Songs Chapel website hosts the recorded singing from the weekly meetings. People from across the world have visited and commented on the website.

“Great Songs Chapel road trip came about after we had been doing Great Songs Chapel for four years, and over that time we have had a number of people come from off campus and visit and say how much they like the experience that they had here,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher recently introduced the Great Songs Chapel road trip to students who expressed a lot of enthusiasm for the opportunity to serve others by using their voices.

“I talked with some people and they talked with other people and before you know it there was a congregation in Okeene, Okla. that said they would love for OC students to come and sing for them,” Fletcher said.

Okeene Church of Christ is a small congregation of about 100 members.

“John Fletcher had the idea several months ago,” Chair of the Department of Mathematics Don Leftwich said. “He thought lots of students have enjoyed Great Songs Chapel and he thought they might enjoy helping a small church with their singing.”

For students like Bradford, this provides a unique experience to see how the trip unfolds.

“I am exited about the trip because I think it will be interesting to see how it turns out,” Eckhart said. “I think it will go well, but I am so excited to see what happens.”

Buses will begin loading to head to Okeene Church of Christ, about 90 miles from Oklahoma Christian, on Nov. 17 at 8 a.m. The buses will return the same day at around 1:30 p.m.

“Based on some things I have heard, I think we will have quite a few students that decide they want to go do this,” Leftwich said. “And we are looking forward to this. We think it will be a good thing for everybody, whether it’s students, faculty members, or somebody in that church or in that town that might come that day.”

Students on the Great Songs Chapel road trip could be singing songs that have been sung for centuries. Upon their arrival at Okeene Church of Christ, students will be singing to the Bible class followed by a lesson by Associate Professor of Computer Engineering Pat Smith.

“I like how you get to hear everyone’s voice,” Eckhart said. “Great Songs road trip will be a nice way to fellowship with people we don’t normally see and I think the singing will be pretty great.” 

The group will sing during the worship service from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. both before and after the Sermon.

“The congregation offered to feed everyone lunch and make special accommodations for that day,” Leftwich said.

After lunch, the group will sing a few more songs to end the trip.  

If the trip goes well, Fletcher hopes to send Great Songs Chapel to other churches to encourage their congregations.

“I think the church will be really encouraged by it,” Smith said. “The students sing so well; it’s so beautiful and I think it will be something really encouraging. Perhaps in going and sharing these songs with a congregation, the students will realize that, ‘Not only do I enjoy the songs, but this is a way that I can serve others and enrich their worship experience.’”

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