San Ramon Valley church started a children’s choir in December 2004 for two reasons: to channel the energy of many church kids—more than 25 percent of the 80 members are children—and to provide kids with an alternative to secular activities on Sabbath. However, they did not realize the magnitude in which the choir would reach out to others within the surrounding community.

The 20-member choir ranges in age from four to 12, with four of them joining from the surrounding community. Invited by other members of the choir, these four are learning about God through the songs they sing.

Led by director Claudio Silva, the choir practices its songs on Fridays and performs them on Sabbath. Their debut performance was on Feb. 5 and reflected the importance of their ministry in worship.

“Music is a highly important part of worship for us at San Ramon Valley,” said Robson DeOliveira, pastor of San Ramon. “Our weekly worship ministry, including a contemporary band that provides live accompaniment to the praise team, now has the perfect complement to our worship experience with a children’s choir, and Claudio is doing a superb job.”

Visitors responded positively to the debut performance. “It’s always a pleasure to see children praising God—they are an inspiration to us all,” said a mother. Others spoke of looking forward to more performances in the coming months. Equally important, the kids also enjoy the experience.

“I like Friday nights when I can go to church and sing,” said Sarah Hagan, a seven year old. Her friend, eight-year-old Hannah Thiel, is in the choir because she "loves to sing and participate during the church service.”

However, the choir has begun to sing at locations other than church. They recently performed a 45-minute concert to more than 50 residents at a local senior center. After their concert, the kids distributed handmade crafts that they had made a week prior and also talked of Jesus’ love with the residents. As the choir improves, San Ramon plans on involving the choir in additional community service events.

The group has solidified the church in a very important way. “This church has really come together in ways I have not seen before,” said Silva. “It’s wonderful to find a church where the children can feel important and are encouraged to contribute to the worship experience.”