VERO BEACH – On Saturday, September 11, the Community Church of Vero Beach will be holding its 2010 Family Fest event. The family-friendly celebration will run from 3 pm to 8 pm, and will include games, activities, an affordable family dinner, and a concert by nationally known blind pianist and worship leader Ken Medema.
“It’s always so exciting for us to gather in a way that is fun and exciting for the entire family -the kids, the teens, the parents, and the grandparents,” said Neal Watkins, Director of Youth Ministries at Community Church. “Ken Medema is one of those special people that has the ability to relate to people of all ages, and empower them to interact with each other on a very dynamic level.”
Family Fest will include games-including “sumo wrestling,” bounce houses, and a dunk tank-from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The church’s “Commotion” youth center will also be open to the public during this time. An affordable family dinner will be served from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. (Advanced tickets required at $5 per person)
The highlight of the event will be a free, open-to-the public concert from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm featuring Ken Medema. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1942, Medema has been unable to see with his physical eyes since birth.
“My sight is limited to distinguishing between light and darkness and seeing fuzzy outlines of major objects,” he explained. Music became an important part of Medema’s life when he started banging on the piano when he was five years old. At age eight, Medema’s parents found a music teacher who taught him the classics using Braille music and taught him to play by ear. She also taught him the art of improvisation.
Medema now uses this gift of improvisation at his concert events, hearing with his heart, stories from people or themes from events or speeches and singing the stories back to audiences of all ages. These “personal songs” are an unforgettable part of any Ken Medema performance.
As a special treat, Medema will also be leading a family-oriented contemporary worship service, Sunday September 12, at 10:00 am in Community Church’s Community Hall.
For more information or to RSVP for the dinner, call 772.562.3633 or visit www.ccovb.org.