| African Seventh Day Adventist Fellowship in Birmingham | - Worship times: Every Saturday - morning service starts at 9.30am
- Order of service: Morning bible discussion where every one is free to discuss the selected lesson then divine worship sermon. After the lunch break service continues with an afternoon programme of praise and worship.
- Church venue: Handsworth Wood Girls' School, Church Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham West Midlands B20 2HL.
Everyone is welcome
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 | | Joyous Symphony Choir |
Joyous Symphony began in 2002 when members from the African Seventh Day Adventist Church in Birmingham would meet at Handsworth Wood Girls School, often feeling lonely and isolated, from leaving their African home countries to live in the UK. Since then, we have been singing the Lord's songs together and we intend doing so until He comes again, which we believe is soon. The joy of the Lord is our strength We chose the name Joyous Symphony for the choir because we believe, with Jesus we can face storms that may come our way with joy. Being in a foreign, not so welcoming country can be depressing, but nothing makes the heart mellow more than a song.  | | Joyous Symphony Choir |
Therefore we get together in harmony to form a symphony that will sing a song to soothe all our burdens away and give us the hope to face tomorrow, hence the name Joyous Symphony. Praising God in our native tongue There are some songs that we perform in our native language, as certain songs lose meaning and soul when sung in English. One such song is ‘Abide With Me’. It is such a moving song when sang in Zulu/Ndebele, but is not as inspiring when done in English. The songs in our language incorporate a lot of our celebratory moods. The song ‘Zulu Khaya’ Lami is a vibrant celebratory song offering hope for a bright tomorrow when we will meet our King. It is such a positive song there is no room for pessimism. Use the links on the right to watch Joyous Symphony on BBC Video Nation and listen to them sing on the BBC WM Nikki Tapper Gospel Show.>>> Sharing the message of God wherever we go  | | Joyous Symphony Choir |
We consider ourselves a mobile church, as not all members of Joyous Symphony sing. People in the group also preach and others teach. We get invitations to host church activities days around the country. The day includes conducting morning Sabbath School, to Divine Service then a youth programme for the afternoon. Although based in Birmingham the group have travelled around the country singing in Kent, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, London, Longeaton, Gloucester, and Walsall SDA Church and at crusades in Handsworth. Our aim is to reach out to the community we live in, to bring a positive influence to the people we meet. The aim of the group is to share the joy of Christianity through music with audiences keen to receive the Christian message. Young people in the Lord  | | Joyous Symphony Choir |
We have a vibrant youth policy to keep the young people entertained in the Lord. We aim to show the world that if you raise a child in the knowledge of God then you send them off on a solid foundation. Furthermore the youth involvement demonstrates that there is so much fun in being a Christian. Christianity is not a docile boring religion. Reborn and Shining Jewels are 2 sub-groups of Joyous Symphony that are for the teenagers and younger kids respectively. The main aim is to instil the same values and discipline to the young people as we were brought up. They are encouraged to explore their musical talents in song, mime or dance as well as participating in physical activities, in a Christian environment that encourages spiritual appreciation and growth. Our African Seventh Day Fellowship Church  | | The Bible |
We decided to form an African Seventh Day fellowship church in Birmingham after realising that we have a very different approach in our worship. However the name is very misleading as we worship with people from all walks of life and indeed everyone is welcome. Keeping the Sabbath day holy As Seventh Day Adventists (SDA), one of our distinctive characteristics is our observance of the biblical Sabbath of the Lord, which is keeping the Sabbath day holy as per the fourth commandment. The Sabbath is kept from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. In our church services on a Saturday we engage in bible discussion, where everyone is free to discuss the selected lesson, after which we go into the divine worship sermon. After the lunch break we continue with the afternoon’s programme of praise and worship. We’re a family  | | Joyous Symphony Choir |
Joyous Symphony has seen the transformation in the lives of it’s members, as they grow in their love for the Lord. There is no greater miracle than seeing a sinner choosing the Lord rather than work towards temporary gain. We have grown closer and closer in our relations as a group, to an extent we feel like blood relatives. Some day we hope to be re-united with our beloved relatives back in our homelands, but before that happens we will be there for each other. Where love abounds no greater force can prevail. Happy, friendly and in Christ Africa is one of, if not the most diverse of the continents; with over 1000 languages spoken over 79 odd countries.  | | Joyous Symphony Choir |
A stunning feature amid such diversity is the friendliness of the people that is evident everywhere one travels on the continent. Another feature is the dynamic and exuberant way with which Africans worship God. Singing is an integral and major component of that worship experience and has indeed been instrumental in our evangelism for winning converts to Christianity. Sing unto Him a joyful song Our singing is primarily acapella with a strong presence of the 4 main singing parts i.e. soprano, alto, tenor and bass. This, accompanied by the hand and body movements in harmony with the music, will not fail to capture the audience. The powerful vocals coupled with our facial expressions will not fail to impress upon the audience the joy the group feels when singing for the Lord. What pleases our audiences the most is the simplicity of the music, the message it carries and the passion behind it all. Although some of our songs are in African tongues, the expressions on the our faces help convey the meaning and our audiences are not left behind that much, however occasionally we do interpret. United as a family  | | Joyous Symphony Choir |
The members of the group are drawn from Southern African countries including, South Africa, Botswana but predominately from Zimbabwe. This itself is testimony of God working because here is a group exhorting the virtues of Christianity, happiness, freedom and brotherly love that comes from being a Christian, when their country is showcasing the exact opposite to the world. When Zimbabwe is going through all sorts of turmoil, the choir is becoming a leading example of joyous celebration and love for one another. We provide support to each other in moments of bereavement when we cannot join with our family members in mourning. The group has established a strong family bond where each member plays a family role by virtue of their age, as is the norm in an African extended family set up. We do not come together only in moments of sadness but celebrate together in a true a clean Christian manner. We are a fun loving, easy going group trying to make the best of our situations in this country. Being part of Joyous Symphony  | | Joyous Symphony Choir |
Choir members Thembelani and Thabo express their feelings on being part of Joyous Symphony choir. Thembelani Tshuma writes :- "I find singing with joyous a very wonderful experience. Although we have diverse backgrounds we have a good atmosphere in the group, that of an Africanised spirit fused with Christianity. "We have a wonderful tool of expression, that of music. Some of us cannot talk much English but express ourselves through music. Our wish is to use music to take us to different places and express the message we have." Thabo writes -: "Joyous Symphony to me has been a source of strength and comfort in this country, where life is an everyday struggle as a Christian, let alone an immigrant. God has been so faithful to us and we have seen Joyous growing from strength to strength with God using the group as his tool to draw men unto him. "The group (Joyous) is where all our sorrows are forgotten and where our strengths are drawn wherein dwells the spirit of the Lord." Everyone is welcome at our church As a lighthouse to God's church, we welcome anyone who wants to join us and contribute to life in the African Seventh Day Adventist Fellowship at Handsworth Wood Girls High School in Birmingham. We are a group bound together by love and a Christian spirit . Use the links on the right to watch Joyous Symphony on BBC Video Nation and listen to them sing on the BBC WM Nikki Tapper Gospel Show.>>> | 
