September is Gospel Music Heritage Month, and this year Chapala Gospel has an additional reason to celebrate—the community gospel choir is marking its first anniversary.
As part of its celebration, Chapala Gospel will provide gospel music for the 10 a.m. Mass at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on Sunday, September 20. The special musical contribution offers another opportunity to share the rich tradition of gospel music within the community.
The celebration continues on Saturday, September 26, at 4 p.m. at Little Chapel by the Lake, when Chapala Gospel presents a special musical program commemorating both Gospel Music Heritage Month and the choir’s first anniversary. The program is free and open to the public.
Founded by Dr. Deborah Davis Jones, Chapala Gospel began with a simple vision: to bring people together through gospel music and share its message of faith, hope, joy, and perseverance throughout the Lake Chapala community. What began with Gospel Karaoke and an invitation for people to sing has grown into a committed community choir affectionately known as “Gideon’s Army.”
The anniversary theme, “Still Standing, Still Singing — The Faith and Legacy of Gospel Music,” reflects both the choir’s first-year journey and the enduring history of gospel music.
Rooted deeply in the African American Christian experience, gospel music has carried messages of faith through struggle, proclaimed hope during difficult times, and encouraged generations to keep believing and moving forward. Its influence has extended far beyond the church, helping shape musical traditions throughout the world.
Through music, scripture, narration, and familiar gospel selections, the September 26 program will honor that heritage while telling some of Chapala Gospel’s own story.
After a year of singing, growing, changing, and persevering, Chapala Gospel enters its second year with the same message that has sustained gospel music for generations:
Still standing. Still singing. Still believing.