Terry Foster

Terry Foster started playing piano at the age of seven and went on to study organ at the age of 15. He has studied organ with Carlene Neihart and Dr. John Ditto. Terry has been organist and choir director for several churches over his 25-plus years of playing organ in Kansas City, St. Joseph, and Phoenix.

He is active in the Kansas City Chapter of The American Guild of Organists, the Kansas City and Independence Music Clubs, and an active performer both as a recitalist and accompanist. Mr. Foster is principal organist at Grace Episcopal Church in Liberty, MO, a staff organist at the Community of Christ World Headquarters in Independence, and accompanist for Washington High School with the KCKS School District.

He has performed as solo artist with the Overland Park Symphony and the St. Joseph Symphony. Most recently, he played on an organ recital with James David Christie and performed for him in a master class. Mr. Foster has also commissioned and premiered new organ works and has more works commissioned. Dana Mengel, local composer, has composed an “Organ Fantasy” and dedicated it to Mr. Foster. It was premiered in September 2008 at the Community of Christ Auditorium.

After being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease early in 2005, he is proud to be a cancer survivor.

Psalm 100:02 “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”

The music ministry of a church is an important organization and has a special purpose in worship services, which is to share, uplift, teach, and sing the message of the gospel into the hearts of the congregation and thereby assist in bringing about a more perfect, worshipful experience.
The preparation of the choir and its individual members to reach this potential in music is a long and enduring process, but the spiritual experiences and blessings received by everyone are innumerable. – quoted from the Preface of “A Choir’s Prayer” by Alice and Larry Beebe.
This month is a plea to check out the choir. You don’t have to read music, but you do need to bring your voice and be willing to be committed to Grace’s music ministry. If you are worried that you might not be good enough, it is not about that, it is all about singing praises to our God.
We are not a group that is to be on ‘show’ for the service but rather we are leading and complementing the worship service. How many times have we come to a worship service and after it was over we said we got nothing out of worship? Well, the cold, hard truth is that worship isn’t about me, you, or any of us. It’s about praising, worshiping God.
It is that simple, participation in worship. Too often we go to worship (sit in the pews and do nothing) and expect God to shower us with his blessings. After all the word ‘worship’ is a verb, and action.
1. God will not give us anything unless we praise His holy name – participate in worship by singing, speaking, praying, etc….. Remember, you can’t get something for nothing.
2. Who are we to expect God to do anything for us, especially if we can’t or won’t do anything for Him. That is placing demands on God. We don’t like demands being placed on us so why should we think differently of God, The Almighty

Now it should start to make some sense, the pastor, choir master, choir, and organist are only there to guide us through the worship experience. God will shower all of us with blessings if we sing praises to God’s Glorious Name. It must come from our heart and soul, and we have to really mean it. Then Grace Church will see a re-birth, a renewal and grow. Won’t that be a glorious day when God’s house is packed full of people.
I wish to thank Alice and Larry Beebe of Larice Music for granting me permission to print the text of their song, “A Choir’s Prayer.” This text was written for use by choirs as a devotional, but is a great proclamation of faith, praise and testimony to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We love the word of God, And come with grateful hearts
To join our voices with the throng, And do our chosen part.

Together as one voice We’ll sing the sweet refrain;
With angels and this earthly choir, We’ll praise God’s holy name.

This call we do accept, We’ll gladly hold the rod,
And share the gospel with the Saints, Through this, a choir of God.

One way of helping you receive a better worship experience might be to let Jay Carter or myself know if you have a favorite hymn that you would like to hear played or sung during the service. We have frequent planning meetings with Mother Susan and Father John and will do our best to get these suggestions worked in. Also, feel free to join the choir and help us all profess our faith and praise to God.

Blessings,
Terry Foster
Principal Organist