Musicians band together for special events

The band called 3:16, organized by Joe Liptock, music director and worship leader at Mount Zion United Methodist Church, 753 Mount Zion Road, Narvon, has interesting beginnings. "It started two years (ago) in April when we did the Ray Brubacher event," recalled Liptock, who noted that the five band members also serve on the church worship team.

At the event, Brubacher told the inspirational story of his battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Given a 3% chance to live, Brubacher found that his faith, family, and friends, along with a brief brush with death, guided him on his journey. "We felt we needed some music as well," said Liptock of forming 3:16 for that presentation. Since the initial event, a praise and worship night, featuring 3:16, special guest singers and songwriters, and testimonies from area businesspeople and others, has been held about every six weeks. The next worship night is scheduled at the church on Friday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m. The special musical guest will be Ava Hartman. The events are free to attend, and the public is welcome.

The band, which derives its name from the verse John 3:16, features Liptock on keyboards and vocals; Jim Conners on guitar, keyboards, and vocals; Laquell Cooper on drums; and vocalist Travis Messner. Among the many songs the band plays are "How Great Is Our God," "Amazing Grace," "There's Power in the Blood," and "Good, Good Father." The band plays additional music by Zach Williams, David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, and Lauren Daigle. "We do some country (songs)," said Cooper, who mentioned "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver as one of the selections.

"We recite John 3:16 before all our music events," shared Liptock. "Our mission is to bring people to Christ through music."

"We will throw in some secular songs such as 'If I Can Dream' by Elvis," said Liptock, who noted that band members take turns on lead vocals, depending on the song.

Liptock, a lifelong musician, began piano lessons as a child, and he later studied drums and voice. He began playing professionally as a teenager, and he played on the same stage with well-known musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Porter Wagoner, and Waylon Jennings. He first became involved in church music in 1995, and he served at several Pennsylvania churches before joining Mount Zion in 2014.

Conners said that he and Liptock have been friends for 40 years and that they probably have 90 years of musical experience between them. Originally from Philadelphia, Conners moved to northern New Hampshire in 1990. He oversaw entertainment at The Balsams in Dixville Notch, N.H., and worked professionally in the Lakes Region and Concord, the state capital.

Cooper was raised in a Baptist tradition in the warmth of the Bahamas, where she said it is common to know most everyone. However, the economy presented struggles, and in 2016, when she was in eighth grade, Cooper moved to the Narvon area. She began playing with the Mount Zion worship team soon after that. She said she has grown to like the local area. Liptock praised her skills as a percussionist, calling her the "heart and soul of the band."

Messner grew up in East Earl. He became known for his vocal skills at Garden Spot High School as part of an a capella group. He serves 3:16 as the group's tenor vocalist. "(Travis is) also an excellent drummer," said Liptock, who noted that Messner is featured on "I Can Only Imagine," "Go Rest High on That Mountain," and "If I Can Dream." 

Mount Zion currently holds adult Sunday school at 9 a.m. and worship at 10:15 a.m. A Bible study is held on Thursdays at 6 p.m. More information may be found at http://mzumchurch.net.