In an attempt to encourage, strengthen and meet people’s spiritual, emotional, and psychological needs, we’ve launched and important new weekly video series! Each uplifting video contains a scriptural teaching and inspiring music to drive home solid, eternal truths and promises from our strong, loving, ever-faithful God … so essential in these troubled days. We’ve shared these unchangeable messages and songs with millions worldwide since 1977. You can watch the series on youtube here!
“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you…” – I Thessalonians 5:18
I love this scripture. By adopting its truth into our lives, we cultivate and develop an “attitude of gratitude” and exhibit complete and total trust in God, no matter what happens in our lives! Additionally, there are very few places in scripture that say overtly, very directly, and unequivocally…this is God’s will for you. Powerful truth to say the least!
One exercise we’ve used for years on the road with CELEBRANTS is frequently checking our “thankfulness quotient.” I would ask the team, “What are the things for which you are thankful today?” Very often responses would be expressions of thanksgiving for “family”, or various gifts from God such as “forgiveness”, “grace”, “strength”, “provision”, and the like.
Virtually every time, giving thanks to God for such things and many others, increased the “joy level” in everyone’s heart. Focusing on the Lord and His amazing goodness does that. It has that effect. So… let me ask, what are the things for which YOU are thankful today?
As Christians, the list of things for which we’re grateful is long…almost inexhaustible…if we think about it even for a moment. For example, I’m personally, very thankful for you…our partner and friend in the ministry. I’m thankful for your prayers and support to help us continue to reach people with the gospel.
Soon we’ll be back out “on the road” sharing the love of Christ with thousands of people. Because of your investment, you will have a part in every life changed for time and eternity. I’m extremely grateful for the amazing way God uses us together.
Be encouraged today. Our God is a good God, and He continually gives good gifts to those who love and serve Him. We love you with the love of the Lord.
With gratitude,
Jon F. Stemkoski, Founder/President
Stone Ministries, Inc.
Celebrant Singers
“The Love of Christ compels me…” – II Corinthians 5:14
The above scripture goes right to the heart of why we pray…give…worship…or really do anything connected to our relationship with Christ. It’s all because of His love. We love Him because He first loved us. It truly is His love that compels us.
I can absolutely, unequivocally assure you that the love of Christ is the motivation for why CELEBRANT SINGERS have shared the gospel with millions around the world since 1977. What else could possibly motivate one to rise early every morning to board a bus, an airplane, a train, a rickshaw in India, an oxcart in South America, or cross a river in a rickety old canoe in Africa, to share the gospel with anyone who will listen? Only the love of Christ.
The more we value the work of Christ on the cross…the more we realize how much He has done, and continues to do for us, each and every day…the more we will love Him. As our love for Him grows, the more we will long to know and do His will. And His will is that none should perish but all should come to know Him. – II Peter 3:9
That’s why I want to thank you today for your generous support of God’s work through CELEBRANTS. I fully believe you share our same motivation. That’s why you pray for us and regularly give of your finances to see His work go forward. In so doing, you are truly doing the will of the Father and pleasing God’s heart. I so commend you and thank you for that.
Let’s continue throughout all of 2020, reaching out as best we can, to make sure everyone has a chance to hear the gospel. Your prayers and regular gifts help greatly to make that possible. For after all…nothing less than the love of Christ…compels us!
Because of His limitless love,
Jon F. Stemkoski, Founder/President
Stone Ministries, Inc.
CELEBRANT SINGERS
And let us not be weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap if we faint not! – Galatians 6:9
January 2020
Dear Friends,
The flurry and hustle-bustle of the holidays are behind us, and a brand new year is dawning…a new year, indeed a new decade full of hope and endless possibilities! And in spite of immense challenges and turmoil in this troubled world, God’s promise to His people is solid…we have assurance that all will be well…He will faithfully lead us by His Spirit…and His grace will always be sufficient!
At this time of year many of us take stock of our lives…and we should! To live an examined life is a great exercise for us as Christians. It’s a time of reflection…a time of setting priorities and recalibrating our trajectory. With each new year comes a fresh page on which Jesus can write new things on the tablet of our hearts!
Consider the scripture at the top of this page. It says we will reap, not we might. The key is not becoming weary. Just do the next right thing…leave the results in God’s hands…and they will be glorious. He, yet once again, will show Himself mighty and strong on our behalf.
In CELEBRANTS, we’re in a time of preparation. Just as farmers repair their equipment and prepare their fields for the next planting and harvest season, so it is with us. We’re busy recruiting singers and instrumentalists for outreaches…scheduling U.S. and overseas ministry…readying buses and equipment…and tuning up spiritually for another great and powerful year of life-changing ministry. Thanks so much for being a huge part of itwith your prayers and financial support!
I’m confident that 2020 will be another powerful year of ministry! Your prayers, love, and support help tremendously to make all of that happen! Remember…. “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, and only what’s done for Christ will last.”
The key, dear friend…going forward…is to pray, trust, hope, persevere, and never faint. Keep standing with us as our faithful partner in ministry and may 2020 be our best year yet!
With all blessings and gratitude,
Jon F. Stemkoski, Founder/President
Stone Ministries, Inc.
Celebrant Singers
Jon Stemkoski’s CELEBRANT SINGERS is one of the nation’s premier music and missions organizations and is headquartered in Visalia, CA. We give singers, instrumentalists, signers for the hearing impaired, and sound/lighting technicians extraordinary opportunities for spiritual, intellectual, social and musical growth while using their gifts in hands-on domestic and international cross cultural ministry. CELEBRANT SINGERS stands out by combining spiritual depth with musical excellence and quality leadership. To date, over 3,200 Celebrant alumni have ministered in all 50 States and 101 additional countries – including more than 6,000 Roman Catholic parishes in the United States and countless more worldwide.
Each CELEBRANT team is composed of ten singers, a 12-piece live orchestra, sound and lighting technicians and a signer for the hearing impaired. Chosen by audition from across North America and all over the world, these highly-talented and committed young adults are not salaried but have dedicated their lives to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world through music, testimony, prayer and the ministry of the Word.
From midtown Manhattan to the turbulent streets of Tehran, Monte Carlo to the slums of Calcutta, Miami to war-torn Northern Ireland, over 8 million people have gathered to hear CELEBRANT SINGERS message of hope and encouragement.
By God’s grace, it’s been a solid ministry with proven and consistent results. Since 1977, more than 3,200 young adults (and some older ones) have served through CELEBRANT SINGERS. And we’ve been based right here in Visalia the entire time! Once a year, we come home bringing fresh reports “from the field” (this year it’s the U.S. and Ecuador) to share during our Homecoming Events.
Our Grand Homecoming Concert is Saturday, August 10th 7pm at LJ Williams Theatre, 1001 W. Main St., Visalia. All seats are FREE and a love offering will be received.
Our main annual fundraiser, the WorldTouch Partner’s Banquet, is Monday, August 12th6pm at GateWay Church, 1100 S. Sowell, Visalia. Call (559) 740-4000 for reservations, both table sponsorship and individual seats. A delicious meal from Sue Sa’s Creative Catering will be served.
We hope to see you at one or both Homecoming Events! We’re proud of our Central Valley roots and thank you, our community, for your continued support!
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
– Isaiah 6:8
We just came back from another powerful summer outreach filled with so many great experiences! We had a great team of musicians who were excited to share the love of Christ with people in Puerto Rico and across the United States. As the team ministered, the Lord was working in their hearts at the same time. Each person who said “Yes” to the Lord was also being shaped by Him. Here’s a video recounting some of the ministry that took place in Puerto Rico and in the hearts of the team members who said “Here am I, Send me!”
It’s that time of year again…Bowl-A-Thon time!
Sunday afternoon, April 8th marks the 8th annual fundraiser for our summer outreaches. We’re currently seeking lane sponsors and motivated teams to make this event another God-honoring success! The annual WorldTouch Bowl-A-Thon not only helps fund our summer outreaches, but brings the community together in fellowship and the celebration of God’s faithfulness. It’s a wonderful opportunity to have fun with CELEBRANTS of the past, community members who generously contribute their time and finances to help send us out, as well as families and church communities that all come together for an exciting time in Visalia, CA. Don’t miss this event! Get involved! Build a team… sponsor a lane….. come and bowl with us! For more information reach out to Barry Sjostrand, our Director of Ministry Advancement, at 800-321-2500 Ext. 4005 or bsjostrand@celebrants.org.
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Looking for a great gift for friends, family or your pastor? “Here’s One” is a story of God’s faithfulness throughout 40 years of international ministry with Jon Stemkoski and Celebrant Singers. Just $20 + $5 shipping for a SIGNED COPY of this pre-publication edition! Simply write it in the Order Notes on the checkout page and let us know to whom and the author and founder Jon will personalize each book.
Enjoy an excerpt below…
It was a very early morning…especially for a guy who always wanted to be, and occasionally got to be, a ‘morning person,’ but most of the time lived life somewhat nocturnally.
The night before yielded precious little sleep as seemingly thousands of thoughts cycled through my mind. This was not my standard de rigueur. Normally I slept very well. When my body was tired, my brain virtually always cooperated by turning off the days’ events and sleep usually came quickly and easily. But not last night.
How could we possibly be here? What components lined up to lead to this extraordinary opportunity? It was, at least, tremendously surreal.
We showered, dressed, had our morning coffee, got our nearly six-month-old daughter, Chelsea, fed and clothed and made our way down to the lobby of the Hotel Argentina. Our bus was waiting. I’ve always loved the smell of diesel in the morning but today it was particularly exhilarating. Our Luxembourg driver, Clement (Clem), greeted us warmly and made over Chelsea, giving her his customary morning hug and kiss, while the team finished last-minute packing. Did we have all the equipment — all the proper cords and connectors? Today there was no room for error. Thankfully, years of practice and a deep-seated philosophy of daily excellence paid off. We did have everything and we were ready to go.
With amazing skill and seeming ease Clem began to navigate the narrow streets of the ancient city, making our way to that morning’s venue. We were headed to the Vatican.
Speedily ushered through three levels of security, Rome police, Vatican police and the iconic Swiss guard, I was taken by how quickly it all transpired. It was as though they were expecting us…and, of course, they were! Soon we stood at our assigned spot on the hallowed, revered steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, overlooking the massive expanse of St. Peter’s square. Was this really happening?
It was still early, only 6:00a.m. or so. As we’d done thousands of times before, we went to work like a well-oiled machine setting up our equipment, laying cords straight, testing microphones…testing 1,2,3…testing 1,2,3…. We hooked up to the main Vatican sound system hoping and praying it would all work. This was not a day to have something go wrong!
Hours passed unnoticed and before we knew it, the immense crowd had gathered, loudly buzzing…pressing tightly against the heavy white wooden barricades. The air was electric. Anticipation mounted as the most popular Pope in recent memory arrived to the adoring cheers of thousands. So many thousands! Rome police estimated one million people in the streets that day, with nearly 500,000 within earshot of what we were about to do.
In a seeming instant, the announcement came booming over that massive sound system….. ‘We welcome today, the CELEBRANT SINGERS, from…from…from ViZalia in California!’ The young priest-announcer had bobbled the name of our beloved hometown! But no time to quibble…we were on! It was time to sing!
‘We have come into His house, and gathered in His
Name to worship Him,
We have come into His house and gathered in His Name
to worship Him,
We have come into His house, and gathered in His Name
to worship Christ the Lord,
Worship Him, Christ the Lord!
So forget about yourself and concentrate on Him and
worship Him,
So forget about yourself……’
It was an amazing morning. We sang and shared the gospel with half a million people on the steps of St. Peter’s in Rome. The entire event was broadcast worldwide via Radio Vaticana, reaching untold millions more. A Vatican official approached us and said, ‘We want to put a little wire into your sound system. And when we do, you’ll be on worldwide radio. What would you like to sing?’ And then, with a wry smile he added, ‘Don’t be nervous.’
We had about two minutes before going live. My mind was racing through our repertoire. If I had to pick one song to be heard ‘round the world…what would it be? What message does North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the islands of the sea need to hear? Instantly it came to me. I informed the team and on the official’s cue we began to sing…
‘Above His Name there is no other Name,
The One who is eternally the same,
There is no other Name.
The first and last beginning and the end,
He was a king who made the common man His friend,
There is no other Name.
Let every tongue proclaim and praise the Name of Jesus!’
Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Confucionists, Shintoists, Jainists, Taoists, Zoroastrians, Bahais, Tribals, Atheists, Agnostics and multitudes who identify as ‘non religious’ all heard the gospel that day as through that song Jesus was proclaimed for who He is…the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
When it was all over, we found ourselves at a lovely Italian café, savoring pasta al dente and discussing the entire affair. Did we really just do that? Did we really sing to half a million people – the largest crowd at a Papal audience since 1951 – from the steps of St. Peter’s? Did Pope John Paul II really come by to greet us all personally, hold, kiss and bless my precious daughter, Chelsea, and stand right next to the team, listening admiringly, smiling and nodding approvingly to our songs? Did all that really happen? How many doors for sharing the gospel would this day open? None of us could possibly know. It was God’s secret, only to be revealed in His time.
One thing we excel at in Celebrants is being good stewards of money. Every penny is stretched as far as it can go to best utilize what God has entrusted to us.
An example of our good stewardship is the sound system. The majority of it is 20 years old(older than some team members), and has been all over the world. We’ve flown and driven our equipment millions of miles, and they’ve held up well — repairs/duct tape as needed — but they are showing their age. They don’t sound like they used to, and things are breaking down more and more. There are much better things on the market that can raise our concert quality to the next level. It’s time for the next generation of sound equipment to take us through the next decade of ministry.
We’re trying to raise $15,000 for the first team of all new equipment focused on 3 things: Durability, Audio Quality, and Transportability.
Durability – The equipment needs to last at least 10 years and accrue its own millions of miles
Audio Quality – We aim for a high musical concert quality, and need audio equipment that can keep up.
Transportability – Air travel has considerably changed over the last 20 years, and weight requirements are much more stringent.
We’ve selected equipment to fit these goals and created a list of prices for the main items. NOW WE NEED YOUR HELP TO GET US THERE!
What can you do?
Donate below, every bit helps!
OR
Pick out a piece of equipment from the list to “buy” for us and write it in the description box. e.g. speaker
Note: you can put in the amount after clicking the paypal Donate button.
Donate for New Equipment
4 Electro-Voice Speakers $500 /ea 1 Electro-Voice Subwoofer $800 4 Speaker bags $100 /ea 2 Electro-Voice Vocal Monitors $329 /ea 8 Audio-Technica Instrument Microphones $279 /ea Yamaha Digital Soundboard Package $6000 6 Chauvet White LED stage lights $399 /ea 4 Chauvet color LED stage lights $150 /ea Chauvet Light board $179
| 4 Electro-Voice Speakers | $500 /ea |
| 1 Electro-Voice Subwoofer | $800 |
| 4 Speaker bags | $100 /ea |
| 2 Electro-Voice Vocal Monitors | $329 /ea |
| 8 Audio-Technica Instrument Microphones | $279 /ea |
| Yamaha Digital Soundboard Package | $6000 |
| 6 Chauvet White LED stage lights | $399 /ea |
| 4 Chauvet color LED stage lights | $150 /ea |
| Chauvet Light board | $179 |
Nels on a ferry in South America
Nels Herring has worked and traveled with Celebrants for 8 years as a sound technician and assistant director on the bus, and technical guru in the office. He knows firsthand the state of celebrant sound equipment and has shouldered the main responsibility of fixing and keeping everything running. He mixes sound professionally in the community and spends his summers “on the road” with Celebrants.
When we’re on the road ministering the gospel, we often wish our prayer and financial support partners could be right there with us…to see, feel and experience all of the marvelous ways God works through us. Most of the time it’s not possible, so we try to share it the best we can through our testimonies and photos. Please know that your prayer and financial support places you right there with us on the mission field.
When the Body of Christ works together properly, amazing things happen. People’s lives change. CELEBRANT SINGERS are goers and you can be a sender. We both need each other and we each play an important role. Together we can make a difference in the churches and parishes of the United States and in the lives of thousands on the mission field! Here are some concrete ways…
God bless you for your generosity!
WorldTouch Partners
A very dedicated group of people from all over America pray regularly for us and contribute anywhere from $20 to $500 monthly via “automatic payment” from their bank… we call them our WorldTouch Partners. They undergird the ministry with prayer and help provide a solid, consistent base of support to help us fulfill our calling. Contact Barry Sjostrand to join this important group!
NEW BUS FUND
Our two 1984 vintage buses desperately need to be replaced. We’re looking for special gifts of $500, $1,000, $5,000 or even more to make this a reality by Summer 2017. The timing is perfect to include us in your year end giving! Perhaps God has blessed you financially this year… maybe you’ve even received an inheritance of some kind… want to put it to good use? Invest it in the Kingdom of God through the CS bus fund! Please contact Joe Enea, Barry Sjostrand or Jon Stemkoski regarding this opportunity!
VOLUNTEER
More than ever before, as we approach our 40th Anniversary, we need volunteer assistance. Making phone calls, data entry, locating Celebrant alumni, stuffing envelopes, etc. are only a few of the areas of need. We’d love to include you! Please contact Chelsea (Stemkoski) Herman to join our growing volunteer team!
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
A gift of $15,000 will replace outdated sound and lighting equipment, $3,000 will send an International Celebrant from a third world country on the road for 10 weeks!
$1,000 a month ($12,000 annually) will support a fulltime CS office worker… We need two!
$500 a month ($6,000 annually) will provide for a part-time CS office worker… We need three!
Please contact our Director of Ministry Advancement, Barry Sjostrand at 800-321-2500 x 4005, for any of these opportunities.
CONNECT
