Wednesday, 20. June 2018
The Shepherds’ Symphony Trust – Three Questions for…
... Solomon P. Benjamin
What is the Shepherds' Symphony Trust?
The Shepherds' Symphony is a music school and group that is based in Bangalore. They teach the children and have already been on two trips to the UK during the last two years. In the UK they sang and held concerts at various churches, missions and even the Royal Academy of Music in London. The singers and the musicians are all children at the age of 6-16 years that go to Christian schools. Most of them attend the Bishop Cotton boys' or girls' school and are part of the CSI St. Mark's church in Bangalore.
Which role do the children and the music group play for the church?
Most children of the Shepherd's choir are part of the young church choir and regularly attend the Sunday school of CSI St. Mark's Cathedral Bangalore. The Bishop Cotton schools are run by the CSI Central Karnataka diocese where most of the children study. The music group enables the children to bring out their inborn and innate musical gifts and to nurture them in a conducive peer group context of sharing, playing and harmonizing. The children sing once a month at the worship to offer praise and thanks. This encourages other children to be also involved and helps parents to see and cherish their gifts being shared, offered and enhanced in a church context. The children share a strong emotional and spiritual quotient, which helps to relate to one another and gain insights into being an open and extrovert personalities sharing a 'learning and living' experiences. This hopefully creates new community of human hood.
Why is the song "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" important to the children?
The song connects the children of the world. Especially when they sing "He's got you and me in his hands" – YOU + Me – which is also the slogan and title of the EMS Children's Program. Hence, this song became their theme song.
The children showed lots of interest when they heard that the EMS Children's Program 'YOU + ME' connects the children and youth ministry of their member churches all around the globe. This enables connectivity and sharing of cultures, believes, life styles, and integrates those aspects through the children's initiative of EMS. Children get the opportunity to share what it means to be a child in one's particular surroundings and what some important issues and challenges are involved in sustaining the children-focused mission.
More Information
In the booklet DIVERSITY many more exciting information about Evelyn and other children around the world are awaiting you. Evelyn shows us some of her pictures, informs us about her children's service, her friends, the school and lots more. You can order the booklet DIVERSITY free of charge via: info@ems-friends.org.
Solomon P. Benjamin
Pastor and Liaison Secretary for East Asia and India