When it comes to joy, long-time Trinity member David Turner said he finds it in singing praises to God as part of the choir. It all started at First Baptist Church in Athens, Georgia. Davd said he loved to sing and he was able to do that in his church.

“I've always received more joy and more deep faith feelings from singing than I have from the spoken word,” David said.

He was able to continue that when he moved on to the U.S. Air Force Academy, as students were required to attend chapel. He said after the Academy, he went through an “unchurched” time, but joined a choir at the local church when he felt more settled. “The choir was a place to sing and to meet people,” said David.

Life took him back to Athens and First Baptist Church, but he said, it wasn’t the same. He hoped to find more. It was about that time when his late wife, Joan, told him they were moving.

“Joan said, ‘we’re going to go to Michigan and be grandparents,’” said David. So the two followed their daughter, Beth Chaiser, to Michigan where she had a job teaching kindergarten at Trinity.

Not only was the couple now with their daughter and grandchildren, they had the opportunity to get involved at Trinity as well.

“Beth was here and she had the job. We saw we could help her with some things in the classroom. I loved being involved with the kids. As we were here, Pastor Ken (retired Trinity pastor) said, ‘why not go to church here?’ It followed naturally to coming up here and getting involved with the school,” said David.

Once attending church, David decided to get more involved by participating in Trinity’s golf league and also joining the choir.

“I get tons from being in the choir. More than words can describe,” said David. “Now that Erica (Batkins) has started the choir again, it’s great. I truly enjoy choir.”

His joy in the choir is something that radiates, said Erica Batkins, Trinity’s choir director.

“David truly enjoys singing. Whether we are just practicing or we are singing in worship, his heart is fully involved. You can see it from the look on his face,” said Batkins.

David said that while he enjoys choir and it brings him joy, that joy is something he hopes to show through in other parts of his life as well.

“I want to honor my parents in everything I do,” said David. “I want to have interactions with people and for them to walk away knowing not that I’m just a Christian, but that I’m a good guy.”