Welcome! Voices In Praise exists for the glory of God and in service to others. As the youth choir of Friendship United Methodist Church, the group is open to all youth in grades 6 -12 who have a desire to sing and a willingness to make the commitment to the group. Singers are not required to be a member of the church or to have any background in singing. Our doors are open to everyone!

The choir rehearses on Mondays. Girls rehearse from 6:30pm – 8pm; Guys rehearse from 7pm – 8:30pm.

New singers are welcome any time. Feel free to contact Director Holly Reynolds Lee at 301-728-1748 with questions!


Want to learn more about Voices In Praise? We made this video as part of a fundraising campaign in 2014. Meet Director Holly Reynolds Lee and learn more about our music and ministry.

Ahead of Schedule in South Bend!

We arrived safe and sound - and head of schedule - in South Bend, Indiana! The long-ish bus ride proved to be a nice time for VIPs to get to get to know one another better. Here are some of the things we learned:
  • Allison (Grade 6) is our youngest VIP, born in October of 1998.
  • Jeff (Grade 12) is our oldest VIP - he turns 19 in August.
  • Michael (Grade 8) is writing a movie script.
  • Ellie (Grade 8) has plans to be a tattoo artist when she grows up.
  • Mary Brooke (Grade 10) is a lifeguard and counts "saving a brick" as one of her accomplishments.
  • Carmen (Grade 11) has very small feet.
  • Shannon (Grade 8) loves the Indiana Jones movies.
  • Kaitlyn (Grade 8) wants to be an actress.
  • Ben (Grade 7) is hoping to see Mobsters in Chicago.
  • We have other stuff for this list but it's sort-of embarassing and out of respect for one another, we're not going to post it! 
Also on the bus ride - we watched movies, played games, read, and some of us took the opportunity to nap... and had the experience of being photographed!
Once we got settled into the nice (and budget friendly) Country Inn and Suites, we walked over to Moe's Southwest Grill for dinner. Then, some of the group made a Target stop (no surprise there) while the rest of the VIPs returned back to the  hotel for a quick swim before devotional.

Devotional.... nothing feels more like Tour than sitting on the floor of a hotel in Devotional, or "Devo" as some VIPs call it. Led by Junior Courtney Eversfield, today's devotional was awesome in so many ways. Courtney used the song, "One Song" as the inspiration for her devotional. This piece was part of VIP's Canada Tour (2004) and was the first piece that Courtney sang with VIP as a 6th grader in September 2004.


One song, like the one sung in heaven.
One song, united in love.
There will be no divsion. 
Ev'ryone will belong
As we stand before Christ singing one song.

Courtney used the song along with 1 Corinthians 1:10 
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

And led a discussion around these questions:
1.) Why is it important for us, as VIPs, to be united?
2.) What are some of the things that keep us connected to one another?
3.) How do we put this verse into action and help ensure that there are no divisions among us?

The responses from VIPs were warm, wonderful, and rich with the sort of genuine love and care with which these kids approach youth choir ministry and one another. They talked about how in VIP, they each have different strengths and weaknesses, how the whole is better than the sum of its parts, and we glorify God better as a group than we do as individuals.

Courtney really did a magnificent job. Her approach was perfect, and really, I couldn't be more proud of the way this 6-year VIP started off the "Live by Faith" Tour. She was AMAZING.

It was a GREAT opening to what will hopefully be a successful week!

Photos from Day 1