Every Wednesday morning strains of ukuleles and singing come from our parlor into the courtyard. For the past three years members of the First United Methodist JOY Uke Club, have gathered for weekly practice as a vibrant family. The group is largely made up of church members but the JOY Uke Club is an inter-faith group including a member from another Methodist Churches. The group sings hymns, 60’s folk songs, patriotic songs, military songs for the veterans in the audience, porch songs, and some contemporary music. Several times each month, the group sings in various senior living communities and health care centers in the Winter Park area as part of our mission to bring joy to others through music and song. Through song, the group shares the Word of God. It is wonderful to behold individuals in the audience who appear not engaged, to all of sudden sit up and mouth the words when they hear “Amazing Grace”. Music touches their souls and takes them back to the happy times in their past.
This summer the JOY Uke Club assisted in teaching the ukulele to middle school age youth at the Winter Park Library. Several times a year the group performs for gatherings in churches and other places in the community including First United Methodist of Winter Park. If you have a passion for singing and playing the ukulele and would like to join the group, contact Rev. Gary Rideout at garyr@fumcwp.org.
“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” Psalm 98:4