Operation Sing Again

If you keep up with us through our Email Updates, or through social media, you know my Father passed away earlier this year. You may not know he spent the last few months of his life in a full-time-care facility, because of advanced Dementia and Parkinson's. Many of our friends, and maybe you, have walked through similar situations with family or friends. My Mom, who took care of Dad at home for as long as she physically could, spent most of her waking hours, sitting next to Dad's bed at the nursing facility, during those several months. Sixty-four years of marriage takes a special commitment that her generation doesn't take lightly... "In sickness and in health..."

When I was in town, I would visit Dad at the facility. Sometimes he would talk, sometimes he wouldn't, but he usually had that twinkle in his eyes that let me know he was still "with us." Every time I walked through the building, I would notice several patients sitting in a large room that doubled as a Dining Room and Activity Room. Every time I walked by, I would wave to the twelve to twenty folks in the room, who were usually sitting quietly, some staring into space, others sleeping, others just slumping in their wheelchairs... None of them ever waved back to me... but I waved to them anyway.

One afternoon, when I was leaving, I noticed a lady had walked into the big room, and was taking a guitar out of its case. I decided to slip quietly into the room, to see what she was going to do. She strummed a short intro and began to sing "In The Sweet Bye And Bye." At first, she received the same response I always received when I waved... nothing...But by the time she got to the first chorus, I noticed a couple of people who began to look toward her...then a few more. By the time she was half-way through the second verse, some of them tried to start singing, and before she finished the song, all the folks who could make a noise were doing their best to sing along. It was amazing... those people I had never seen any reactions from, were suddenly alive, and singing! I stood there, listening to the off-pitch, trembling voices, and it became one of the best concerts I had heard in a long time. I was blessed and encouraged, and as I left the building, I sat in my car for a few minutes, and cried. I had just witnessed a miracle.

On my drive home, The Lord revealed to me that He had given us the tools to bless and encourage people just like the ones who had blessed me that afternoon. He had given us the Gospel Music Hymn Sing DVDs. He placed the burden on my heart to find a way to get those DVDs into every full-time-care facility in the country... to give those precious people, who so often feel lonely, discouraged, helpless, and sometimes frightened, the opportunity to sing again! The Hymns they grew up with still have the power to lift their spirits and remind them that God hasn't forgotten them, and that He still inhabits their praises, when they sing.

After sharing my burden with the guys on our bus, and then with Mark Trammell, Jim Brady, Jeff Whisnant, and some other close friends, we decided to launch "Operation Sing Again." A mission to get a complete set of Gospel Music Hymn Sing DVDs into the video libraries of every full-time-care nursing facility in the United States. My next call was to a friend of mine, James Wright in Nashville, who is the Executive Director of a facility there, to get some advice on how to accomplish our goal. I was surprised when he told me just how many full-time-care nursing facilities there are in the United States... almost 16,000... at the time of this writing, 15,675 to be exact! Once I began putting the figures together, I realized we had committed to a huge undertaking...several hundreds of thousands of dollars... but I also realize we are depending on a great big God to help us accomplish the task.

A few years ago, we formed The Gospel Music Hymn Sing Foundation, to preserve and promote congregational Hymn Singing to our generation and the next. The Board Of Directors of the GMHS Foundation has committed to completing the mission we're calling "Operation Sing Again," as The Lord provides the means to accomplish the task. We are asking people to prayerfully consider helping us with "Operation Sing Again."

In order to provide the DVD sets to every full-time-care facility in the United States, we first have to pay for the manufacturing of more than 47,000 DVDs. That will be the most expensive part of the mission. Phase two will be purchasing the packaging and mailing materials needed. Phase three will be the actual process of packaging, labeling, buying and affixing postage, and shipping the packages. We have already secured volunteers to assist in the packaging, labeling, and shipping of the DVDs, once we get to that step. Our challenge is to raise the necessary funding to bring it to completion.

We hope you will prayerfully consider contributing to help us with Operation Sing Again, through the Gospel Music Hymn Sing Foundation. You can sponsor a set of DVDs with a gift of $30. Some people can sponsor multiple sets with a large gift, while others may only be able to sponsor a portion of a DVD set with a gift of $5, $10, or $20.

The Gospel Music Hymn Sing Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Foundation with no paid employees. Contributions are tax deductible.

To make a tax-deductible contribution, visit www.gospelmusichymnsing.com or click the Operation Sing Again logo near the top-left of this page. You can also mail a check or money-order to
Gospel Music Hymn Sing Foundation
P.O. Box 1182
Morristown, TN 37816

We believe thousands of people, all over the United States, are going to be blessed and encouraged as they begin to Sing Again! Thank you for your help.