Welcome to Lifted! Youth Gospel Choir. We’re so glad you’ve joined our incredible community. We’re just 5 months into our 5th season and we’re already 75 vocalists strong! We are now in preparation for our Spring Concert with workshops and weekly rehearsals in full swing.

We jumped into the new year with two weeks to workshop and pull together a collaborative piece between Lifted and Speak With Purpose for MLK Day… and you all showed up!!!

2025 has come to a close and 2026 has already been quite eventful. I found myself slowing to once again be grounded in hope amidst SO much happening in our world and our neighborhoods. My heart has been encouraged at the existence of this community we call “family” - especially as people share how blessed they have been by the ministry of our children at our most recent concert. Thank you for being one of the sparks that keeps our community going! I have heard countless stories of the impact on hearts! Access to the recordings are linked below in this newsletter!

AM-A-ZING!! We just finished a FABULOUS Christmas Concert! And now it’s time to celebrate!

I couldn’t be more proud of the beautiful performance our choir gifted to the community. Hope, joy and light were palpable in that space. People were truly transformed, inspired and “lifted”. Thank you for being an incredible picture of community.

WE’RE HERE!!!
We have finally come to our first concert of the 2025-26 Season: “Holy One”! The choir has been WORKING HARD and it has all paid off. They are sounding incredible! Now it’s time to share this joyous sound with community! As a reminder, our final run-through is tomorrow, Wednesday 12/10, from 4:30 - 6:30 PM at Lake B. Please prioritize attending as this is our final chance to go through details as a full group before the concert.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I want you all to know how truly grateful I am for you. The ways you show up, encourage, support and rally around one another as community is nothing short of inspiring and my heart is strengthened. I am grateful for the ways our children remain beacons of truth, joy and light in the world. I am listening and learning from them daily.

Can you believe we are already 2 months into our season? Our young people are off to a great start! Our first workshop of the year was amazing with so many new families, lots of passion and incredible talent. Our weekly rehearsals have been great connection times. We even did a family dinner night and enjoyed a meal together between rehearsals.

We are heading into the 3rd week of our newly structured weekly rehearsals after a great season launch with our “Opening Orientation Day” and I couldn’t be more happy! It’s such a joy to spend creative time with such talented and joyful young people!

We’re here!

I’m so excited for the official kick-off of our 5th Season! We are encouraging all new and returning families to attend our Opening Orientation Day tomorrow, September 13th, from 11AM to 1 PM at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church in the Fellowship Hall. It will be a chance to learn about how Lifted operates, to engage and catch up with other families, find opportunities to get involved and see what’s in store for this new season. If you have not yet RSVP’d, please do so here...

As we close out the summer of 2025, I want to take a moment to acknowledge all the amazing things that our Lifted! youth and alumni have been up to over the last few months! I’ve been so happy to see images and videos of our young people sharing their gifts so courageously with community!

I have finally returned from my four-month sabbatical and adventure with The Color

Purple: The Musical. What a ride it’s been! Thanks again to my Lifted Family for all the love you poured out on me during my time away! The cards, hugs, prayers, visits, gifts and support kept me encouraged throughout the run.

Hey Lifted! Fam -

It’s workshop weekend! What a gift it is to have the freedom to gather to lift voices to in a joyful act of resistance in these tense times. I am really looking forward to seeing your faces on Saturday as Joyya leads us in preparation for our Juneteenth celebration next week. Please do your best to attend the workshop so that you are comfortable with the new songs for the mini-concert.

Hey Lifted! Fam -

First off … I’ve missed you all so much! As I’m writing this, I am down to just seven more performances wearing my church lady hat in The Color Purple. This experience has been nothing short of LIFE-CHANGING and life-giving! Thank you to everyone that came out to support, prayed for me, and stepped in to cover things while I’ve been away. Your love and well-wishes have sustained me throughout this journey. (Special shout-out to Maya for making me try-out!) I hope I’ve made you all proud! 🥹

Hey Lifted! Fam -

This Thursday is setting up to be a fantastic day, as we get to celebrate the importance of black history in America as well as wrapping up our FOURTH successful season of Lifted! We are keeping the Juneteenth gathering very low key and easy so that we can focus on enjoying each other’s company, catching up with Crystal, and sitting in the importance of the day. The key details are listed here, but please make sure to read the ‘From Joyya’ section below as well.

Hey Lifted! Fam -



Brianna here with a reminder that we are getting together this coming

Hey Lifted! Fam -

Here with an update from Joyya as well as a reminder that we have a fun event coming up tomorrow! We will be meeting up at Lake B at 4:30 PM for our Sundaes With Crystal event where we will have delicious ice cream sundaes, hold a Q&A with Crystal about her experience rehearsing for The Color Purple, and generally hanging out and having a good time.

Hey Lifted! Fam -

It’s workshop weekend! I know I am not alone when I say that I am so excited to gather with everyone this coming Saturday and hear what Joyya has in store for us for our end of year Juneteenth performance. Please take a minute to review the Caregiver Action Items and read the update from Joyya below.

Hey Lifted! Fam -
Happy Friday! Brianna here with some important season updates. As you all know, Crystal is now out on sabbatical for the remainder of the season prepping and performing in The Color Purple with The Village Theater. The lovely Joyya Seamster, Crystal’s sister, will be stepping in as our director while Crystal is out, and I will be continuing in my role managing things on the back end. There have been some important decisions made regarding the rest of the season, and we wanted to get everyone on the same page.

Hey Lifted! Fam -

IT’S TIME!! All of our hard work is leading to a JOYOUS day tomorrow! As a reminder for those who are unable to attend, the concert will be professionally recorded and we will give families access the week following our show so that you can share with friends and family.

Hey Lifted! Fam -

A storm is predicted to fall around the time of our Lifted! Rehearsal tonight. Although rehearsal is listed as mandatory in our calendar, your safety is of utmost importance to me. PLEASE STAY SAFE and do what is in the best interest of your family.