Lead Pastor Keary Kincannon (second from left) and the staff of Rising Hope Mission Church. Photo courtesy of Rising Hope
Lead Pastor Keary C. Kincannon was not just preaching to the choir at Rising Hope Mission Church on June 11, but his message resonated with The Netcasters, the visiting musicians who provided worship music at the Sunday morning service.
Stephanie Bianco, one of the newest vocalists to join the Springfield-Burke group, said, “I loved a quote from [Kincannon’s] sermon that ‘In God's Kingdom there is no unemployment; God has a job for you.’” Considering the demographics of the Rising Hope congregation, that was a very relevant message.
This small mission church is a United Methodist-affiliated congregation located on the Route 1 corridor in Alexandria. It focuses its outreach on the immigrant and disadvantaged populations in the nearby neighborhoods. Rising Hope is active with several local food banks, manages a clothing closet and serves as a hypothermia shelter in winter months.
The Netcasters wrapped up the fourth season of their independent ecumenical music ministry by providing the service music for these worshippers. Since this congregation generally relies on singing with praise videos, the live ensemble presenting gospel favorites elevated the spirit as well as the tone of the morning’s worship service.
“We loved seeing the smiles on peoples’ faces and hearing them singing and clapping along with our music,” said co-director Kathryn Boudreau. “It was a joy for us to be with the members of Rising Hope that morning.”
Kincannon remembered that “toe-tapping” songs like “He's Got the Whole World in His Hands” were especially well received and that the passing of the Peace, a standard part of most Protestant worship services, was more inspired than usual.
The Netcasters began offering their music four years ago to small churches that have no live music for their weekly services. Since then, the group has grown from a few singers, guitar and flute players, and one keyboardist to a roster of 22. Their current members include those same musicians, plus a much expanded vocal section, a back-up keyboard player, and an electric bassist and his 8-year-old son on snare drum and cajón.
All Netcasters are volunteers, although some have formal musical credentials. Co-director Ether Smith, who does all arrangements for the group, served for six years as the commander of an Air National Guard band and played in television studio orchestras.
The June 11 service at Rising Hope was followed by lunch and fellowship, and Kincannon has already requested another Netcaster performance for this fall. The group takes a summer hiatus, but will be available for presentations at similarly small churches, retirement centers and rehabilitation centers starting in October.
Performances are tailored to each congregation or audience, with the standard repertoire including gospel standards, “songs of yesteryear,” and folk music favorites.