2016 Language Music Celebration features 13 language groups
SILVER SPRING, Md.—Thirteen international people groups gathered to worship together during the 14th annual Language Music Celebration held March 20 at the Global Mission Church in Silver Spring, Md.
Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Baptist Network and the Montgomery Baptist Association, the Language Music Celebration is an annual event held each Palm Sunday for international Christians, who come attired in their native dress and worship in their own languages in a celebration in a celebration of the creation of God’s church in many cultures.
Groups from the following language groups participated in this year’s festivities: Bhutanese, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, French, Hispanic, Japanese, Jewish, Korean, Nepalese, Thai, Vietnamese, and West African.
To date, there are 20 different language groups with churches in the Network.
The night’s worship reminded participants and guests of Revelation 7:9, when groups “from every nation, tribe, people and language” worshipped God.
In his message, Michael Crawford, compared his listeners to the early disciples.
“What Jesus is looking for is people who hear His voice and don’t make any excuses and actually do what He says. Jesus is looking for people who are willing to leave everything and follow Him,” said Crawford, team strategist for church multiplication at the Mid-Atlantic Baptist Network. “By God’s grace, what we have here, tonight, is a people who have all heard Jesus’ voice and have left everything and followed Him.”
You know when people really meet Jesus and they really follow Jesus, you never have to tell them to tell other people about Him.
In his opening remarks, Ron Blankenship, pointing to Acts 1:8 affirmed going out into the world to tell about Jesus. As apparent in the gathering, he also noted that “the world has come to us.”
On the program for the first time was Thai Church Maryland, a new church plant in Rockville, Md., and Mishkan HaShofar, a Jewish congregation in Silver Spring, Md.
Rabbi Robert Pristoop, of Miskan HaShofar, opened his segment with the blowing of the shofar, and closed the entire evening with a rabbinic blessing, holding out his hand in the shape of the letter Shin, an emblem for Shaddai.
Several groups performed ethnic dances, most in very colorful costumes.
After enjoying the time of worship, participants shared a special multicultural meal in Global Mission’s fellowship hall.
For more information about reaching the nations in Maryland and Delaware through church planting, contact Rolando Castro at rcastro@bcmd.org, focused on Hispanic groups; Robert Kim at rkim@bcmd.org, focused on Asian groups; and Robert Pristoop at Mishkan.HaShofar@gmail.com for Jewish groups. Direct all other inquiries to Crawford at mcrawford@bcmd.org.