The Revelation Pilgrim Ministries shall, in the months of July and August of 2009, send out invitations personally and via email and fax to churches and ministries from all over the New York city metropolitan area to participate in the ‘Revelation Pilgrim New York City Gospel Praise & Worship Challenge 2009’. This challenge shall be an event where these choir ministries will be able to compete for the recognition of ‘Best Choir in the City of New York 2009’. On dates in September thru November 2009 choirs from all over the metropolitan area shall participate and compete in the 2009 Gospel Praise & Worship Challenge. Ten (10) choirs from each borough shall be selected to participate in the quarter-final rounds in September and October 2009 which will also be broadcast via social networking media* and YouTube™. From the quarter-final rounds seven (7) choirs from each borough shall move on to the semi-final rounds in November 2009. (New Jersey shall compete with Manhattan; Rockland and Westchester Counties shall compete with the Bronx; Long Island shall compete with Brooklyn and Queens). From the semi-final rounds three (3) choirs from each borough shall be chosen to perform and compete at the finals for the Gospel Challenge trophy, a recording contract and grand prize of $20,000.00 in November 2009 at BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Runner up and third prizes shall be $7,500.00 and $5,000.00 respectively. All events will be broadcast on social networking media and the general web viewing public will have the opportunity to vote on whom they believe to be the best choir. This shall be an annual event.
Revelation Pilgrim Ministries shall conduct two auditions in each borough of the city in the months of July 2009 and August 2009, and will as well visit churches to offer personal invitations to compete in the challenge. These auditions will be expanded depending on the response to the challenge from prospective choirs, artists and gospel groups. Revelation Pilgrim Ministries shall conduct five quarter final rounds in the months of September & October 2009, one in each borough, with five semi-final rounds in the months of October & November 2009, also in each borough, culminating in the final round of competition in November 2009 at BAM.
Contestants for the 2009 Gospel Praise & Worship Challenge shall be judged on choir and/or music ministry presentation; the artistic value of the presentation; the degree of praise and worship experience in the presentation; and audience response to the gospel presentation at the challenge events and on the web via social networking media.
Contestants shall be permitted to make a maximum of two song presentations of five to seven minutes in length each at the auditions. Traditional church choirs are desired and are encouraged to participate.
The theme for the 2009 Gospel Praise & Worship Challenge shall be ‘Youth Power Fighting HIV/AIDS in Our Community’. Literature focusing on and promoting HIV/AIDS awareness shall be available as part of the ministry outreach on all challenge performance dates. This will be one dynamic, Christ Jesus glorifying event.
