
A Bit of History...
In 1971, an Alutiiq man named Senafont Shugak, Sr. invited men of Christian faith to his home on Monday nights for singing and sharing God's word. Men like Don Stump (InterAct Ministries) and Pastor Paul Weimer (Grace Baptist Church) came to share with him and his family.
Every monday evening (Senafont's day off from work) the coffee was put on and one of the men would come to teach. Senafont played his guitar and they all sang then the evening was ended with Bible teaching. Others including Walter Maillelle and his family began to come to the fellowship bringing their guitars to play and sing too.
It was not long before the "group" grew too large for Senafont and Vera's home and they agreed to find a bigger living room to meet in. They kept moving on to several larger living rooms and one of the last homes they met in was Chuck Obendorf's. The guitar playing group even met at Romig Junior High School before they settled in at the Covenant Church on 10th Street.
A man from Chignik, calling himself "The Singing Fisherman," (Ruben Hillborn) wrote a song called "A New Life" (Words are on the home page). The group began to sing his song each week and soon it became known as their theme song.
Up the highway, Wallace Bays a teacher and principal at Victory High School (a small boarding school) taught Bible classes and singing. He and the staff at the school encouraged students to share their christian testimonies and their native lore in a program they began called "The Native Musicale." Each year during Anchorage's Annual Fur Rondevous time, they would bus down to the city and stand before an Anchorage audience to perform what they had practiced for weeks.
The responsibility for the Anchorage Native Musicale passed to the Anchorage Native New Life Fellowship in 1974, it then became one of ANNLF's main outreach efforts.
Today, Anchorage Native New Life Fellowship continues to present Natives and other Christian's from around the State the opportunity to come together during Fur Rondevous (February), play their guitars, sing, and share music and testimonies. Monday night meeting continue each week.
ANNLF's newest outreach program is Howling Huskies Gospel Festival. It's planned to be a fun, outdoor, gospel music festival held sometime during the summer months (most likely July) up on Lazy Mountain in Palmer. The two day event includes gospel singing, handcrafted sales, food sales, including Native foods --to the delight of all there! Ask any Board Member about how you can become involved by singing or bringing your handcrafts to sell or both!
Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV) :
"Therefore, as God's chosen people holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word of deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."I John 1:7 (NIV) :
"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son purifies from all sin."Contact Web Builder if you know more history. Thanks to those who shared!
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Quyana!