Music is a gift from God.

Singing is using that gift to worship God. Singing well is a way of glorifying Him.

One A-Chord Ministries shapes diversity into unity in the name of God, and the common denominator is music.

"I love being able to teach people and lead people in how to use their gifts," said Amy Fennimore, who's been the president of One A-Chord Ministries and the choir director for a dozen years. "I want to challenge them to be their best and give their best. I always tell (the singers) that God deserves their best. When we give our best, He is honored."

One A-Chord Ministries is a nondenominational, seasonal community choir that seeks to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the community through song. The choir's 100-plus members range in age from 20 to 90 and hail from all parts of Lancaster County and beyond.

One A-Chord Ministries is not affiliated with any one church, but its members represent 50 churches across the county. The group rehearses regularly at Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road, Lancaster.

"They are people who love the Lord and worship the Lord," said Fennimore. "They are people who want to have an opportunity for group ministry within the choir. ... They have a heart to bless the community."

"It's a wonderful experience to work with a group of people and accomplish something," Fennimore continued. "Music is art, and we're doing it together. We strive to do it to the best of our ability. Our choir has really developed a sense of family. It's more than just an activity. (The members) love each other and pray for each other."

Each year, One A-Chord Ministries performs a handful of concerts during both the spring and fall/winter seasons. The community choir sings at churches, retirement communities and events to audiences that sometimes number more than 500 listeners.

Fennimore noted that music has been part of worship services for a long time.

"In today's world, as contemporary worship has grown, I think it's important to embrace the new and contemporary music and continue to honor the traditional," said Fennimore. "Music is a wonderful way to speak to the heart and soul in ways that words can't. As the director, I try to incorporate different styles into the concerts. I am very aware that we have audiences made up of many different backgrounds."

Fennimore acted upon an idea to have a community choir stage a concert even before One A-Chord Ministries officially became a nonprofit in 2013. The choir's growth has simply been a validation of that idea's value.

"It came out of a desire of singers wanting to do more," said Fennimore. "We got people to come (to the concerts), and it grew from there. I still have a lot of the singers who were with us back then. We've had a lot of members come and some go. Over the years, we've grown and matured musically. I've been able to challenge (the singers) more musically. Their music skills have grown over the years."

"Another way we've grown is in our relationships," she added. "We've had many opportunities to sing at many places. Our passion is a love for the Lord. We want to energize people to worship the Lord through the gift of music. It's important for believers to come together, and music can be a catalyst to make that happen."

For additional information about One A-Chord Ministries, go to http://www.oneachordministries.org.