Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a concert by tenor Timothy Bentch and his daughter, Emma, on Sunday, June 26. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held in front of the newly renovated schoolhouse across the street from Crossings Community Church, 8 S. Erisman Road, Manheim.

"The primary goal of the evening is to have people in the community come together for a nice night to enjoy the music and worship together," said pastor Rich Nolt. The concert is also a benefit for Global Disciples, a Lancaster-based organization that promotes Christian-led initiatives around the world. "It will be an opportunity for people to hear about what's happening with Global Disciples and have the opportunity to support them financially as well," Nolt stated.

The concert will feature spirituals, Broadway tunes, contemporary Christian music and worship songs. Timothy began his singing experience in his local Mennonite church, singing with the gospel group The Bentch Brothers. He went on to perform with opera houses and symphonic orchestras in Europe, Asia and the United States. For 10 years, he was the leading soloist with the Hungarian State Opera. He also enjoys performing pop concerts with Emma.

Along with the concert, the evening will include stories from Galen Burkholder and Brother Tefera of Global Disciples. They will sign copies of their new book, "Ordinary Disciples, Extraordinary Influence: Stories to Fuel a Life of Unshakable Faith." Burkholder is the CEO of the organization, and Tefera is an Ethiopian-born Christian leader.

Nolt explained that the idea for the concert arose after Timothy came to the church to speak about Global Disciples. "About two or three months ago, I proposed the idea of doing an open-air worship night in our schoolhouse yard," he recalled. "I wanted to do something to bring the community together."

In October of 2021, Erisman Mennonite Church was restarted as Crossings Community Church. The concert will take place by the Lincoln School, which dates to 1884 and was recently restored by church members.

In the event of rain, the concert will move inside to the church sanctuary. For more information, visit http://www.crossingscc.org.