Meet Redeemed – Group Finalist

 

 

 

 

What church does your group base out of?
Our home church is Lighthouse Christian Center in Reading, PA and our awesome pastor is Pastor S. R. Behm.

Who is in your group and how did the group get together?
When Dimas Cortez graduated from Christian Life College in 2010, he came back with a passion to start a group. Dimas was tired of seeing young people come and go and saw that starting a youth praise team would be one way to keep the young people connected, involved, and passionate about the work of God.  Not only was the group started, but during practices a bond was created which  brought the youth together both spiritually and physically. The name “Redeemed” came about before the group was started and was a random thought that continually played in Dimas’ mind. Wanting to create a group that pursued excellence and “togetherness” was part of that thought. The want to see young people stay in the church and not turn their back on God is what started the group. Since then, Dimas Cortez has become the music minister at Lighthouse Christian Center and has incorporated “Redeemed” into the church’s main praise team. The individuals that are in “Redeemed” are Adrian Garcia, Angellyna Soto, Dimas Cortez, Eunice Lalanne, Khaighnen White, Natasha Dorisca-Archil, Nerica Normil, and Ludwinn Alexis

How does your group minister in your local church or district?
“Redeemed” is part of the church’s main praise team and they have also sung at PA church camp and various youth services/churches in the state of PA.

What motivated you to enter NATS 2013?
Actually the group had no idea that they were  entered into NATS. Originally we weren’t going to enter the contest. We had started practicing and we made a ‘rough’ one time video and some things had come up and Dimas thought it would be best that we just didn’t do the competition. Yes, you could just imagine the look of disappointment on our faces. As the deadline approached, Dimas felt like God was telling him to still enter us using the video that we recorded after our second practice. So Dimas took a chance and entered us without anyone knowing. When the email stating that we past the first rounds came, Dimas told us that he nearly had a heart attack; he purposed in his mind only to tell us if we made it and if we didn’t then he would just tell us sometime down the line. And here we are singing at Youth Congress and we thank God and My Hope Radio for this opportunity. CCCCCCHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Who do you want to send a ‘shout out’ to?
Adrian Garcia: I would like to give a shout out to Felix Garcia, Jose Garcia, Marilyn Ortiz, Xiomara Garcia, Uncle Fred, Kelsey Ortiz, Elaria Ortiz, Dominic Ortiz, Elias Garcia.

Angellyna Soto: Want to give a shout out to my parents and brother.

Dimas Cortez: I want to thank Dustin James Clark, Kevin Daniel, and Bro. Fitzpatrick for believing in me and supporting me. Shout out to my family (you guys are awesome!)…LOVE YOU MOM!, and to all my friends who have stuck by me (if I were to name all of you this list would be too long) love you all! Also, to “Redeemed” for putting up with the long and hard practices–you guys are the best!

Eunice Lalanne:  I would like to shout out to Jesus, above all, because He has brought me this far and will continue to carry us! My parents, Dimas, and the members of “Redeemed.”

Khaighnen White: I want to give a shout out to Pastor and Sis. Kellstrom and city church of Phildelphia

Natasha Dorisca-Archil: Shout out to Rodfane, Noah, and Dimas.

Nerica Normil: I want to shout out to Sis. Amy who helped influence me most on doing the work of God and Dimas who believed in us.

Ludwinn Alexis: Shout out to Andrea Shaeffer, Kristina Shaeffer, and Angela Fooks.

Redeemed would like to make a shout out to our church (Lighthouse Christian Center), our Pastor, Bro. Kevin and Sis. Kim, Vicky Lopez (for putting up with us and helping us out…thanks!), Sis. Jessica Perez (for our awesome photo-shoot!), a shout out to PENNSYLVANIA and all the churches and to all who have supported us!, and most of all to JESUS CHRIST for his redemptive power!