By Delaney Freer
The First Sunday Praise and Worship Team introduces each new month by leading the congregation with popular and easy to sing songs. The majority of their songs can be heard on KTIS 98.5, which many team members listen to daily.

First Sunday Praise and Worship Team members providing music for Easter Sunday Worship: Sue Lyrek, Amy Kellerhuis, Delaney Freer, Katie Mueller, Al Pecarina (behind Kaite), Matt Intreri, Pam Freer and Carol Clark ~Photo by Andrew Burgdorf
“First Sunday is a small but powerful group,” explains member Sue Lyrek. “We like to search [for] and sing songs not for performance, but for our souls and feelings. We try to listen to the group and make decisions together. We all have opinions, but we know that God wants us to be here for Zion.”
The thirteen members range from high school students to parents of high school students. First Sunday practices for an hour every Wednesday evening where they focus on songs with easy to sing notes, simple melody lines, and uncomplicated rhythms.
“I joined First Sunday because I really wanted to do something that was out-of-the-box for me,” says team member Carol Clark. “I love all kinds of Christian music- the more traditional stuff we sing in Senior Choir during first service, and the stuff they play all day long on KTIS. When I joined [First Sunday], I had never really played anything like we play. I love that I had to step way out of my comfort zone and learn to play a different way, after playing from written music for over thirty- five years.”
Before every worship service, the group gathers in a circle and Sue Lyrek leads them in prayer.
“I like to pray before we perform to help us get out minds together,” she explains, “and to help God see where we are hurting and how He can help. It makes us feel more like family and we help each other out by praying for what comes to us. That way we can let our light out from within and it can shine out to the congregation, so when they leave they can feel it, too.”