WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR’S EVE?

Around this time last year, One Way Music Ministry member Gerald Douglas felt a strong calling that the local gospel group should do something as a thank you to the Laurens community in the form of a free concert. From this calling, PRAISE IN 2003 was born. On New Year’s Eve, One Way sponsored a free gospel concert at the Laurens County Exchange Building as a family oriented Christian alternative to other New Year’s celebrations. On a zero budget and very little time, PRAISE IN 2003 came together as a great success with an attendance of approximately 350+ people. The talent line-up consisted of all local talent with One Way Music Ministry closing the program.

The format for this year’s PRAISE IN 2004 will be different. Instead of all local talent, five time Dove Award winners, The Nelons, a professional gospel group from Powder Springs, Georgia along with David Hill, a former member of Gold City gospel group, have been booked to perform. One Way Music Ministry will open the program.

Last year, local merchants generously donated door prizes that were awarded to attendees all during the evening’s festivities. To keep this year’s event free to the community, merchants have made monetary donations to cover the cost of bringing The Nelons and David Hill to Laurens. Once again the Laurens business community has been very generous to contribute to PRAISE IN 2004. So far twenty-three sponsors have come on board to support the event. To date most of the money has been raised to cover the expense and sponsorships are still being accepted. A love offering will also be accepted the night of the event.

“Two Guys and a Grill” from Clinton will provide food for this year’s event. The menu will be a BBQ sandwich plate with baked beans, coleslaw and a drink for $5.00.

Doors for the event will open at 5:30 PM with the singing starting at 7:00 PM. The evening will close around 10:30 PM to give families a chance to return home early or attend other activities of their choice.

One Way Music Ministry was formed by a group of friends in the mid 1990’s. Since that time the group has evolved and changed to a five member group who today go wherever a door is opened for them to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in song and message. Current members of One Way are Gerald Douglas, musician and vocalist; Garrett Douglas, vocalist; Carol McDowell, vocalist; Lessley Blakley, musician and Herschel Gibbs, Chaplin. During the past year, the group has had the privilege of sharing in worship with approximately twenty churches, civic organizations, fundraisers, retirement homes and other venues around Laurens and the surrounding area. The current group has been together for about a year and a half and is currently working on a new recording project.

For more information about sponsorship of PRAISE IN 2004 or details about the event, please call...

3RD ANNUAL PRAISE IN

FREE GOSPEL EVENT

For the third consecutive year, One Way Music Ministry of Laurens will host their annual PRAISE IN 2005. The event that has previously taken place on New Year’s Eve will this year be held on Saturday, January 29, 2005 at 7:00 PM at Gray Court-Owings School Auditorium. Once again, courtesy of local business donations, PRAISE IN 2005 will be a completely free event for the community. This year’s featured entertainer will be Vicki Bird. Growing up in the

Appalachian mountains of West Virginia in a rural area called Bird Holler, Vicki Bird, an entertainer’s entertainer, cast her lot with show business at an early age. Her earliest memories date back to the little Baptist church at the end of the dirt road, where 5 year old Bird sang and played with her 5 sisters and 2 brothers. At 13 Bird was offered a position as one of the lead vocalist in a country band working in the West Virginia area. By 18 she had won a recording contract with Nashville based Avco Records, was touring the road with George Jones and had debuted on The Grand Old Opry. After a decade of opening for such pioneers as Ferlin Husky and Charley Louvin and leading her own bands through a seemingly endless procession of southern honky tonks, Vicki and her husband and keyboard player, Donnie, moved to the outskirts of Nashville where she finally began to capture Nashville's attention from the inside. Signing with record company, 16th Avenue, Bird felt she quite possibly could be on her way and caught the attention of The Nashville Network and Ralph Emery and became a favorite guest artist on "Nashville Now" and due to her comedic wit and accomplished singing ability became a regular cast member on the syndicated television show "Hee Haw." It would appear that all would be well with an ACM nomination, numerous TV appearances and loyal fans but for Bird, something was missing, and that something was Jesus! Although she was saved at the age of 12, she had lost the closeness she once had with the Lord and felt a need to renew that closeness. It was during this renewal time when Bird first felt her calling to sing the gospel. The Lord chose to call her to a music ministry. After many weeks spent in prayerful conversation with GOD, just to be sure, Vicki received her answer in a big way from the Holy Spirit. From that day forward, Vicki has committed herself to God's call and has never looked back. Clearly, the anointing is evident through and through!

The doors will open at 6:00 PM for PRAISE IN 2005 with first come first serve seating. The music will begin promptly at 7:00 PM with One Way Music Ministry opening the event. For more information about event details please call...

Web design by C.Michael Hager