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Friday, May 01, 2009 

McKendree United Methodist Church to Host Nashville Praise Symphony Concert Benefiting Bethlehem Centers of Nashville

Donations at May 16 Concert Will Support Nonprofit’s Service Programs

Nashville, Tenn. – McKendree United Methodist Church and the Nashville Praise Symphony announced today that they will host a benefit concert on Saturday, May 16, to support the Bethlehem Centers of Nashville, a social service agency promoting self-reliance and positive life choices for children, youths and adults in Middle Tennessee. The concert will take place from 5-6 p.m. at McKendree United Methodist Church, 523 Church Street in downtown Nashville. Admission is free to the public, and donations for Bethlehem Centers are welcomed.

The Nashville Praise Symphony and Bethlehem Centers’ youth group will perform songs including contemporary orchestra arrangements of hymns and modern praise songs along with a few standard classical selections. McKendree United Methodist Church choir will not perform but will host the event. After the concert, Bethlehem Centers of Nashville will host a reception and provide facility tours at its main campus located at 1417 Charlotte Avenue.

Nashville Praise Symphony is an auditioned orchestra of 60-plus skilled musicians which includes woodwinds, brass, percussion, a rhythm section, and strings. The group performs benefit concerts for organizations in order to promote awareness and provide funding to assist local Nashville and Middle Tennessee area ministries. Kevin Sparkman, Executive Director of Nashville Praise Symphony, and Communications and Evangelism Coordinator for McKendree United Methodist Church, is helping organize the May 16 concert because of his concern for the programs of Bethlehem Centers and a desire to play a more active and creative role in supporting its community outreach programs.

"Our upcoming benefit concert is especially meaningful because it will promote the important community programs conducted by the Bethlehem Centers,” Sparkman said. “This event fits perfectly within Nashville Praise Symphony’s core objectives to support local ministries. We feel a special urgency to assist Bethlehem Centers during these difficult economic times, which adds to the opportunity and responsibility that members of McKendree United Methodist Church, friends and neighbors, and the city of Nashville have to support this vital social service organization."


About McKendree United Methodist Church
Strong Roots – New Life. Through over 220 years of ministry centered in downtown Nashville, TN, McKendree United Methodist Church draws upon a tradition of deep rooted faith in Christ and is poised to boldly tell future generations about a new life through Jesus to those in Music City and beyond. McKendree is the first United Methodist congregation in greater Middle Tennessee and the Tennessee UMC Conference. Currently they are offering worship services at their downtown location on Saturday evenings (Mosaic Downtown Fellowship, 5 p.m., call for dates), and Sunday mornings (New Wine Fellowship at 9 a.m. and Traditional worship at 11 a.m. weekly). McKendreeToday.com, 615.271.2600

About Nashville Praise Symphony
The Nashville Praise Symphony is a 60-plus piece symphony orchestra and is conducted by renowned composer, arranger, director and clinician Camp Kirkland. Kirkland founded the non-profit symphony in 2002 with its core mission of being available to provide support for other Nashville and Middle Tennessee area ministries.

The group is comprised of auditioned volunteer musicians and annually performs a benefit concert for The Nashville Rescue Mission, has been featured in various events at The Schermerhorn Center, and even traveled to Greece in 2008 to participate in a music missions project with the 1st Evangelical Church of Athens. The Nashville Praise Symphony has recorded three studio projects that are available for purchase at benefit events or their website: www.nashvillepraise.org. (The group will also be donating $2.00 per CD sold at this event to benefit the Bethlehem Centers of Nashville)

About Bethlehem Centers of Nashville
Bethlehem Centers of Nashville is a non-profit social service agency that promotes self-reliance and positive life choices for children, youths and adults in Middle Tennessee. Delivering and advocating quality programs and services since 1894, Bethlehem Centers is a National Mission Institution of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Bethlehem Centers operates facilities in north, south and downtown Nashville. Its main campus is at 1417 Charlotte Avenue. For more information about Bethlehem Centers, visit www.bethlehemcenters.org or call 615-329-3386.