When Jeff Crain, pastor for Omak, Tonasket and Oroville churches, began serving the north-central Washington churches in August 2004, he scheduled the fifth Sabbath of each quarter as a “high Sabbath,” a time when the churches meet together for a combined service and fellowship lunch. At the “high Sabbath” of Oct. 29, 2005, the Tonasket social committee chairman, Lucy Trapanier, expressed interest in holding a talent show in December for the combined churches. This started the ball rolling!
The appointed evening of Dec. 3 began with vespers at the Omak Church and a light supper, giving members an opportunity to fellowship before they moved to the gym for the talent show.
And what talent there was! Gospel singing with guitar accompaniment, classical piano solos, cowboy poetry reading, country music singing and Hawaiian folk dancing. The acts were blended into a delightful program by Harold Beebe, the humorous emcee.
The hits of the evening were probably the country music singing/acts by Karen and Kaiza Kuiken, singing “Those Cotton Balls,” and the lip-syncing rendition of “Thank God, I’m Just a Country Boy” by Jeff, Joey and Alyssa Crain and Seth Hoffpauir.
The program closed with expressed consensus that this talent show should be an annual event.
Country music performers ham it up at the Omak Church, from left: (front) Joey Crain and Seth Hoffpauir; (rear) Jeff Crain, Karen Kuiken, Kaiza Kuiken, and Alyssa Crain.
Performing "Thank God, I'm Just a Country Boy," from left: Seth Hoffpauir, Joey Crain, Jeff Crain and Alyssa Crain.
