Consider buying an advertisement for your business or sending a donation to Pike County Times to support the only free online newspaper in Pike County. Donations can be sent to: The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. You can also donate through www.venmo.com/u/pikecountytimes, $pikecountytimes, and PayPal.Me/PikeCountyTimesLLC.

Thanks for supporting Pike County's only free online newspaper!

GRIFFIN - Sometimes, what feels like a loss can become the beginning of something new. For seven musicians in the Griffin area, changes in church music trends left them without a place to use their instrumental talents in worship. Rather than allow those gifts to go unused, they began exploring a new way to serve God through music. Their efforts led to the creation of the Iris City Worship Orchestra, a community ensemble dedicated to praising God through instrumental music.

As more churches moved toward amplified music, some instrumentalists found fewer opportunities to participate in worship. The original group of seven recognized that other musicians were experiencing similar circumstances. They began discussing whether a community worship orchestra could provide a place for these musicians to continue sharing their God-given talents.

A planning meeting was organized to explore the feasibility of the idea. From that meeting, the Iris City Worship Orchestra was born.

For the orchestra's founder of record, the vision represents more than an opportunity to make music. “This orchestra allows me to continue using my musical gifts in His service, as well as my gifts for organization,” the founder said. “What began as a loss of opportunity has become a new opportunity to serve Him through music.”

On May 20, 2026, the Iris City Worship Orchestra was incorporated in Georgia as a nonprofit organization. The next milestone came in June, when Mt. Gilead Baptist Church in Griffin generously provided rehearsal space. The church took a chance on the newly formed group, giving the orchestra a place to gather, rehearse and begin building its future.

In July 2026, the orchestra received 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service and began inviting musicians to participate. The response was encouraging, with 37 people expressing interest.

The orchestra held its first rehearsal on August 11, 2026. It also received a welcome gift of music from Second Baptist Church of Griffin, which no longer had an orchestra. This contribution helped the new ensemble begin building its musical library.

Today, the orchestra typically has between 24 and 29 musicians at each rehearsal, representing at least six churches in the Griffin area. Additional musicians are expected to join in January 2027.

Membership dues are $40 per year, and the orchestra follows a school-year schedule, meeting from August through June. Rehearsals are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.

The repertoire includes arrangements of traditional hymns, sacred selections and contemporary Christian music. Through this variety, members seek to offer music that honors the church's rich musical traditions while embracing contemporary expressions of faith.

The public is invited to attend the orchestra's inaugural concert on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 4 p.m. The performance will take place at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, located at 14550 U.S. Highway 19 in Griffin. Admission is free, and donations will be accepted following the concert.

Two additional concerts are planned at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church: Sunday, April 4, 2027, at 4 p.m., and Thursday, July 1, 2027, at 7:30 p.m.

The orchestra's members are grateful to Mt. Gilead Baptist Church for believing in their vision and providing a home for the group's early rehearsals. That support has been instrumental in helping a small gathering of musicians become a growing community ensemble.

Although the Iris City Worship Orchestra was born out of a loss, its members are moving forward with hope, gratitude and a shared purpose. Their goal is to provide a lasting place where instrumentalists can use their God-given talents, build relationships across congregations and join together in praising God.

What began with seven musicians searching for a place to play is becoming an opportunity for many more to serve. For the Iris City Worship Orchestra, the story is not simply about finding a new place for music. It is about discovering a new way to turn musical gifts into a ministry of praise.