Category: Southern Gospel

Foresters announce passing of Mark Forester

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TEXAS GOSPEL CANADA VOLUNTEER

Mark Forester, co-founder and patriarch of the Nashville-based Southern Gospel group The Foresters, has passed away. Mark, who served as vocalist, pianist, and guitarist for the family band, had dedicated more than two decades to full-time Christian music ministry alongside his wife Andrea and sons Tyler and Trevor, touching countless lives across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

The Foresters have been a fixture in Christian music circles for 24 years. Over that time, the family band released 42 recordings, held more than 110 concerts annually, and saw all five of their radio singles chart in the top 80 on the Singing News national charts.

Mark’s leadership and production work, including on their most recent project “Calling You Home,” helped establish The Foresters as a top 10 nominated band by readers of Singing News Magazine.

The Foresters announced his passing with this Facebook post:

These past few days have been overwhelming, and I hardly know where to begin. I wanted to reach out with as much care and respect as possible as we acknowledge Mark’s passing and navigate this difficult moment together.
We are taking one day at a time right now. Our hearts are heavy — for ourselves and for Mark’s family. We truly wished his story could have been different, and that he could have found the healing and help he needed.
This is not the ending we ever expected or prepared for. The struggles that came into Mark’s life were heartbreaking and difficult, and we had always hoped for a better road ahead for him.
I have met with the funeral home and have taken care of the arrangements for him to be sent back to Michigan, where he will be laid to rest beside his father.
While there are many questions that cannot be answered right now, the boys and I are taking care of what must be handled as we move forward.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 (KJV)
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
The boys have stood with me through every step of this, and I am so thankful for their strength and the help they have given me.
I would also appreciate your prayers — that God would give me wisdom, clarity, and peace as I work to close out the details before us and set up life for my boys. There is so much to care for, and I am relying on His strength daily.
We will continue to thank the Lord for His goodness, for the grace He has given, for His faithful provision, and for the hope that is in Him. It is the prayer of my heart — and the boys’ as well — that our lives would honor the Lord in every way, and that even in the midst of this struggle, others would see the Savior.
Faithful. Focused. Following Christ. – That is our desire.
Thank you, always, for your love, support, and the blessing you have been to us.

Stephen Forester, Mark’s brother, said, “The Lord saw Marks deep pain and He mercifully took him home . Romans 8:1”

Mark asked that the family be given space in this time of pain.

A private family service will be held.

but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8

The journey of faith in Brian Free and Assurance’s Behind My Praise

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Brian Free shared the meaning behind Assurance’s new song, “Behind My Praise.” He explains, “Behind our praise are the valleys we’ve been through, the mountain tops we’ve had to climb, the mountains we had to crawl over, climb over, and the good times, the bad times, and all those things, everything that we experience in our life brings us to the point where we really should, as a Christian, know how to praise him, know how to lift him up, know how to thank him for all that he’s done, because we all have so much to be thankful for. And that’s what the song talks about it, and it does it in such a great way. And I love singing. It’s just a wonderful song.”

Provided to YouTube by Daywind Records Behind My Praise · Brian Free & Assurance Grateful for the Gospel ℗ 2024 Daywind Records Released on: 2024-09-20

This idea is found in the message of James 1:2–4 (NIV): “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” Our hard times, the valleys and mountains, shape our praise. They teach us how to worship with real depth and thankfulness.

I hope you’ll pardon me sounding long-winded, but I’d like to give a little more of my understanding of these verses. They teach that believers should view trials and hardships as opportunities for growth rather than reasons for despair. These challenges test one’s faith, and through enduring them with patience and trust in God, a person develops spiritual maturity and strength. The passage emphasizes that perseverance in the face of difficulties leads to completeness and maturity, meaning a well-rounded and steadfast faith that lacks nothing. Ultimately, James encourages believers to see suffering as a refining process that deepens their relationship with God and shapes their character.

The lyrics of “Behind My Praise” speak directly about this experience. They tell us about the struggles that come before praise: valleys God brings us through, mountains we never thought we could move, and wilderness places in bloom.

To be thankful and to praise God fully means to remember where we have been and what He has done for us. “Behind My Praise” is a reminder for believers to lift their voices with gratitude, knowing that every trial has brought them to this moment of thanksgiving.

The song was written by Kristi Ralon Fitzwater, Marcia Henry, and Josiah Palmer. Listen for Behind my Praise throughout the day on Texas Gospel Canada!

BEHIND MY PRAISE – BRIAN FREE & ASSURANCE
(Kristi Ralon Fitzwater, Marcia Henry, and Josiah Palmer)
Behind my praise, there’s a valley
God has brought me through
Behind my praise, there’s a mountain
I never thought I’d move
Behind my praise is a wilderness in bloom
I can’t hold back
’Cause I’ve seen what God can do
I’ve seen oceans roll back at my feet
I’ve watched giants cower in defeat
Because of God and His amazing grace
I live to tell the story behind my praise
Behind my praise
Are the tears He’s wiped from my eyes
Behind my praise
Are the answers to my desperate cries
Behind my praise
Is the dawn that broke the night
I can’t hold back the joy I have inside
’Cause I’ve seen oceans roll back at my feet
I’ve watched giants cower in defeat
Because of God and His amazing grace
I live to tell the story behind my praise
Every story I have lived through
Has given me the faith
To trust Him as the author
Of every future page
And I’ve seen oceans roll back at my feet
I’ve watched giants cower in defeat
Because of God and His amazing grace
I live to tell the story behind my praise
Because of God and His amazing grace
I live to tell the story behind my praise

The LeFevre Quartet brings new life to a Southern Gospel classic

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

If The LeFevre Quartet’s new song sounds familiar, it’s likely because Southern Gospel fans have cherished “When My Feet Touch The Streets of Gold” for decades. Though many associate the song with the Kingsmen’s legendary 1981 live album Live – Naturally, that wasn’t the first time it was recorded.

“When My Feet Touch The Streets Of Gold” LeFevres Experience (1975) Songwriter: Conrad Cook Publisher: BMI

The song was written by Conrad Cook and first put to vinyl by the LeFevres (the family group, not the quartet) in 1975. It appeared on their album Experience the LeFevres and made the Singing News gospel chart in 1976, marking an early success for the group with this Southern Gospel classic.

If you’re not familiar with Conrad Cook, you probably have heard some of his music without knowing he was the writer. Cook was a gospel singer, songwriter and pianist for decades starting in the 1930’s. He penned songs like “The glory Road,” Is that the old ship of Zion,” and “Saints will rise.”

When My Feet Touch the Streets of Gold · LeFevre Quartet Here To Stay ℗ 2025 Daywind Records Released on: 2025-06-27 Lyrics by Conrad Cook

The title and lyrics of When My Feet Touch the Streets of Gold refer directly to the streets of gold mentioned in the Book of Revelation, speaking of God’s heavenly city, and also echo the biblical promise of seeing Jesus as described in 1 John 3:2. The song expresses a longing anticipation for the day when believers’ feet will finally touch the streets of gold, when they arrive in heaven and the joy of seeing Jesus face to face.

Listen for When my feet touch the streets of Gold on Texas Gospel Canada!

The newest recording has a modern Southern Gospel sound, but the same message. A great quartet song endures, reminding listeners of the hope and faith that define Southern Gospel music.

When my feet touch the streets of Gold
I am looking for the day when I’ll see Jesus
And His blessed face I shall behold
With the saints of old the half will then be told
When my feet touch the streets of gold
When my feet touch the streets of glory
When I’ve traveled my last weary mile
Will He hold my trembling hand
When before the bar I stand
Will He say my child well done
A crown of life you now have won
When my feet touch the streets of gold
If by chance some happy morning you should miss me
Don’t you weep for me because I’m gone
I’ll be at the feet of the One who died for me
When my feet touch the streets of gold
When my feet touch the streets of glory
When I’ve traveled my last weary mile
Will He hold my trembling hand
When before the bar I stand
Will He say my child well done
A crown of life you now have won
When my feet touch the streets of gold
When my feet touch the streets of glory
When I’ve traveled my last weary mile
Will He hold my trembling hand
When before the bar I stand
Will He say my child well done
A crown of life you now have won
When my feet touch the streets of gold
When my feet touch the streets of gold
Streets of gold

Conrad Cook

Operation Sing Again Brings Hymns to Care Homes

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Gerald Wolfe has launched an outreach effort called Operation Sing Again. Wolfe, well known for his gospel music hymn sings, shared what the program is about. He explained that he and his group travel with a live band and several singing groups to hold hymn sing events where the whole audience joins in. These events have been taking place for several years and have drawn large participation from church and community audiences.

Operation Sing Again is an extension of that ministry. Through this initiative, sets of Hymn Sing DVDs are being distributed to nursing homes across America. The goal is to bring music, joy, and familiar hymns to people who can no longer attend events in person.

Recently, several hundred Operation Sing Again packages were sent to nursing homes, Alzheimer’s care centres, and assisted living facilities. The newest delivery included the Songs of Hope & Thanksgiving and Carols of Christmas DVDs, which arrive just in time for the holiday

Joseph Habedank to Perform at Benefit Supporting Addiction Recovery

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JEFF TURNER

Award-winning Gospel artist Joseph Habedank is set to take the stage at Nashville, Tennessee’s historic Ryman Auditorium for The Concert for Cumberland Heights: A Night of Stories and Songs, taking place Wednesday, October 29. For Habedank, the event carries deep personal meaning.

The annual concert raises funds for Cumberland Heights, a respected addiction treatment facility where Habedank received care over a decade ago. Reflecting on the upcoming performance, he called the opportunity both humbling and fulfilling.

“So this is kind of a bucket list thing for me, not just that it’s the Ryman, but that the concert takes place every single year,” Habedank shared. “Cumberland Heights is actually the treatment facility, the rehab that I went to when I got clean and sober about 13 years ago.”

The Basement” performed by Joseph Habedank. Written by Joseph Habedank, Tony Wood, and Lee Black. Courtesy of Daywind Records.

Since overcoming addiction, Habedank has become an outspoken advocate for recovery and faith-based resilience, using his music to inspire others walking a similar path. His song The Basement, written about recovery meetings and personal healing, will be featured during the event.

“I’m so honoured and excited to be a part of this special night,” he said, expressing gratitude to the organization that played a pivotal role in his journey.

The concert brings together artists and storytellers dedicated to supporting the mission of Cumberland Heights, ensuring that individuals and families continue to have access to life-changing treatment and hope.