Terry’s Picks for June 2020

As you know, the last few months have been challenging in tracking a revolving landscape of cancelled, postponed, rescheduled, or re-rescheduled events: The calendar has been a rolling wave of various COVID-19 related announcements.
Here's the latest at press time for a sense of what June is bringing...... and a touch of beyond:
Maranatha Bible Conference on Lake Harbor Rd. in Muskegon has dropped its entire summer concert program for this year. "Our concerts, the Women's Breakaway Conference, (and) sports camps all had to be cancelled," executive director Gary Feenstra told Maranatha supporters in a video post. "We know social distancing will be in effect and we just can't hold that many people even using our outside space." The concert schedule had featured artists such as Point of Grace, Jason Crabb and The Martins. For more information visit www.vacationwithpurpose.org.
The "Praise in the Park" summer series each Sunday evening at Garden Club Park in downtown Rockford will begin the first Sunday in July. Traditionally it kicks off right after Memorial Day.
Organizer Richard Moll contemplated cancelling the entire series, but is forging ahead with the program beginning at 6pm July 5. The inspirational music is provided by area church praise and worship teams. There is no admission charge.
The Sandy Pines Lakeside Chapel at the Sandy Pines Resort near Dorr, MI has cancelled its Sunday evening vesper concerts until through at least June 14. "Our plans remain very much in limbo," according to a website post. Check ahead on the status at http://www.sandypineschapel.com/index.html.
The Christian Reformed Conference Grounds on Lakeshore Dr. south of Grand Haven has cancelled its Saturday evening gospel concerts through the month of June. Also called off are the July 10 concert featuring singer-songwriter Josh Wilson and the July 25 performance by The King's Brass. Visit https://www.crcg.org/concerts/.
THE WOW STORY: STAY TUNED FOR MORE
The annual Worship on the Waterfont (WOW) in downtown Grand Haven is maintaining its original schedule which begins Sun. June 21. But the exact form is still up in the air.
"We will either livestream an exclusive concert on our Facebook page, or be live on the waterfront (Lynne Sherwood Stadium) with limited capacity and social distancing," said Kathleen Bobeldyk, producer of the summer Sunday evening series.
WOW is awaiting word from the city of Grand Haven on how to proceed, while observing state guidelines in effect at the time. "We will most likely evaluate every three weeks so that things might be able to run as normal by August," she added.
Music for the opening night (7pm June 21) is from worship leader/singer-songwriter Cory Asbury, followed up on the 28th with Jordan Feliz.
Bobeldyk notes that both sponsorships and donations are down this spring, and both are key to the free-will-offering series. You can make a donation at https://freedonationkiosk.com:9011/communityconcert/donation/new.
More information may be announced on June 8. Visit the WOW Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/worshiponthewaterfront/
Earlier this summer the Unity Christian Music Festival in Muskegon announced it was postponing this year's August event until next year www.unitychristianfestival.com .The Big Ticket Festival in Gaylord, originally scheduled for the latter part of June, has been moved to Labor Day weekend (Sept. 4-6). See www.bigticketfestival.com
A BRIGHT NOTE
The one summer spot that is already up and running is the Gospel Music Barn, 6881 64th Ave. in Hudsonville. They successfully opened Memorial Day weekend. Even with its outdoor setting, they are practicing social distancing with sanitizer stations available, etc. Saturday June 13 is a special "Jamboree" day, with music starting at 3:30pm and going well into the evening. Donations accepted (food available from 5 to 7pm). For the summer schedule visit www.gospelmusicbarn.org.