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Continental Singers in Deutschland

Es war im Jahre 1969,
als sie ihr erstes Konzert auf der renovierten Berliner Waldbühne
vor 7000 Besucher gaben, direkt nach dem Konzert der "Rolling Stones",
wobei die Besucher die Waldbühne zerstört hatten.

Unser persönlicher Wunsch ist es, dass über alle Konfessionsgrenzen hinweg,
Gottes gute Botschaft vielen Menschen in unserem Land verkündigt wird. Künstlerisch
begabte Menschen möchten wir fördern und schulen und ihnen eine öffentliche Plattform bieten.
Wir lieben es, wenn Christen Gemeinsamkeiten erkennen, wenn sie Freunde
werden und gemeinsam arbeiten. Das ist segensreicher als tiefe Gräben
aufzuwerfen und Mauern zu bauen. So dürfen wir schon auf Erden Gemeinschaft
leben und erleben. Das ist ein kleiner Vorgeschmack auf die Ewigkeit.
Lasst uns gemeinsam Brückenbauer und Menschenfischer sein!

Danke!

Wir durften bisher viele Vereine, Gemeinden und Kirchen in Deutschland besuchen,
lernten dabei viele Leiter, Pastoren, Pfarrer, Gemeindeleiter, Älteste und Jugendleiter kennen.
Wir haben dabei viele Freunde gewonnen und mit vielen haben wir bis heute Kontakt.

Danke für jeden netten Anruf, für jeden lieben Brief,
für jede Hilfe - auch in letzter Minute.
Mit dankbarem Herzen blicken wir auf Gottes Schutz und Bewahrung auf
Tausenden von Straßenkilometern zurück.
Trotz langer Erfahrung sind wir noch immer abhängig von Gottes Gnade und Treue.
Er gibt uns immer wieder neue Kraft, Ideen und offene Türen.
Ja, gerade dann, wenn uns die Umstände manchmal aussichtslos erschienen.

Bei all dieser schönen Arbeit brauchen wir eure Gebete, Gaben,
Mitarbeit und die vielen Kontakte in ganz Deutschland.

In Liebe Gerhard & Renate Bachor

US-Continental Singers

Die Geschichte der Continentals in den USA

Wir möchten über alle Generationen hinweg,
die beste Nachricht der Welt weitergeben!

Die Continentals sind eine non-profit, überkonfessionelle und internationale Chorvereinigung.
Zeitgemäße Musik und die klare Verkündigung der christlichen Botschaft
von Jesus Christus waren und sind bis heute die Basis von "CONTINENTAL MINISTRIES".
Von den großen Kathedralen Europas bis hin zu den wenigen Gläubigen in Thailand,
sie möchten die Herzen vieler Menschen erreichen. . .
seeking to meet their needs spiritually, emotionally and physically.

The history of Continental Singers
and Christian Artists in Europe

It started 1969 with $50 and an old typewriter. What happened afterwards can be compared with the growth of a tree having several branches.

index:
1969, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987-1990, 1991, 1994, and on

1969 Start in USA
It started with a visit of the Continental Singers. Leen La Rivière was asked to organize these few first evangelic-concerts. Leen saw the incredible potential of this new form of communication. It was a great success in Catholic, Reformed, Pentecostal, Baptists and other churches. In 1970 was given a legal status to this new ministry: Continental Sound: purpose to work with music in all its variety as a mission, involving amateurs d professionals. More concerts with other groups were launched (Discipel, Watsons, Ingemar Olsson, Adrian Snell, Sheila Walsh, Second Chapter, Barry McGuire, Jamie Owens, Rodney Cordner and many others). Today Continental Sound is Europe's largest music ministry. Till 1993 4,225 concerts were done with ca. 2.5 million visitors (=appr. more as 500 per night). Projects range from classical music to rock, from small events till festivals with over 7,000 visitors. God used the contact between Cam Floria (the founder of Continental Singers) and Leen La Rivière to call him in a new ministry.

1974
Soon the step was made from life-music to the published form. The tree got the first branch. The publishing house Continental Sound Music (CSM) started its work: innovating work with records and later on sheet music and songbooks. In 1980 we stopped the distribution of records, that became concentrated in GMI. CSM started to blossom. It's today a large Christian music publisher in the Benelux, representing foreign publishers like CA, Scripture in Song, etc. Many churches, choirs, artists come to CSM for new repertoire. Besides music, other books are published about music, the arts and important research-directories. 1988 saw a growing need to help many users and authors with their copyright/law problems, so "Stichting Licentie" (the Dutch Church copyright license system) was started, serving already hundreds of churches.

1976
The need was growing for good publicity. So came a new branch into being: the Gospel-magazine "Sjofar" that changed name in 1980 into "Gospel Music Magazine". Because of the growth of other artistic disciplines in 1989 the name became the Gospel magazine "Music & Art", published 11 times a year. 1991 saw a complete renewal of the magazine "Music & Art". The only magazine like that in Holland. Since 1989 an English edition is as well published (irregular).

1980
Already in 1972 Leen La Rivière initiated training for musicians and artists. Cam Floria started a Christian Artists Seminar in the USA in 1974. That became a new model for Leen La Rivière. Talents, teachers and artists were brought together in 1980, so in 1981 the first Christian Artists Europe Seminar was held with appr. 400 visitors out of 12 nations. Till today thousands have visited this seminar; they became from appr. 60 nations. This seminar became the "powercenter" for Europe to give impulses for spiritual and creative renewal in all styles of music, dance, drama, theatre, mime, the visual arts, etc. Christian Artists developed as well an international network in West and East Europe.

1985
Continental Sound coordinated the tours for Continentals in Europe since the early days. Because of its growth it was decided to start Continental Ministries Europe. Now Leen La Rivière could start European groups of Continental Singers as well! This became a great success. 1990 had 2 international (European) Continental Singers groups and 1 Francophone Continental Singers group. 1991 saw 4 groups, 1992 5 groups etc. Since 1992 several European Young Continental Singers are on the road! Europeans like this musical excellence and the outreach! In 1994 there were 10 European Continental groups!

1987-1990
The impulses for creative renewal as a result of the seminar were strong. So national artists meetings were held. These got more structure, So came into being an Association for Christian Artists bringing together the musicians, dancers, mime, visual artists, the media, etc. The association is connected with the Dutch Christian Trade Union (CNV), on speaking terms with politicians about the future of culture. The Association wants to bring more fellowship under the members, more coordination between member-organizations and cultural renewal including reform of several laws.

1991
New was the ongoing growth of the Association. And it became an "International Association for Christian Artists" with members all over Europe and affiliated member-organizations like "Christian Artists - Continentals Germany". A growing recognition came by the acceptance by the "World Confederation of Labour", and the recognition by the "European center for workers Questions" (1993).

1994
This year saw the first tour of the Encores (age 30-55 years) and a Flemish national youth choir Discipel (besides the Dutch one).

And on
What started as a mission has great relevance for reform of society and inspiration of the Church. On one side we have proclamation and publications, on the other side being salt in culture shaping processes. All based on the conviction that Christian Artists in all expression-forms should show vision, identity, purpose and dynamics of the Kingdom, the Lordship of Christ.
What started with an old typewriter became a European movement inspired by and based on the Gospel.
Of course, this movement is since several years not the result of the work of one person, men and women equally work together to realize all projects.
The organization is financed by donations, membership of tours, concert-tickets, subscriptions, offerings, sales of product, copyrights, participant-fees of seminars. No subsidies are received.

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