Music, and especially the human voice, is universally used to express faith.

Singing in a church choir binds the participants together in Christian love and fellowship that in turn transmits comfort and enjoyment to the listeners.

Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Austin has several singing groups, namely the Senior Choir and the Gospel Ensemble. The are respectively directed by Brian Johnson, Reality Check (youth), by Pastor Dan Kahl, who also accompanies the singers on guitar, and King's Kids, the elementary children's group, directed by Nancy Dolphin.

Brian Johnson is in his 12th year as choir director at Our Saviors. The Senior Choir, which has been in existence since the beginning of the church in 1953, does a variety of music.

Traditional and contemporary music "spans the ages of choir music," as Johnson puts it.

The Gospel Ensemble, which has been growing the last couple of years, sticks to contemporary and Gospel music, he explains. Most members of this group are younger adults that gravitate toward that type of songs.

According to Johnson, former pastors started the group with eight to 12 people, and now there are up to 25.

"It's a fun group," he said, smiling. "They are excited about singing. Both groups are a lot of fun, actually.

It's always been that way."

In the past, all the music groups of the church have made Christmas videotapes.

Pastors got involved with those putting the tapes together with

appropriate Scriptures and other writings. They have then put this on during the Christmas Eve service.

Formerly, the choirs have also put on community and city programs during the Christmas seasons.

Johnson, who is the choir director at Austin High School, more than likely spoke for the rest of the music leaders as well as himself when he related his motivation for taking his expertise to church.

"I think faith is always a motivation. That's what happens," he said.

"People express their faith differently.

Some will gravitate toward singing and express themselves in music.

Whether they have a regular voice like most people have, or they are talented soloists by that whole range of ability they have, they are all connected by faith and through expressing

that faith in music -- all kinds of music.

And that includes me," he said with a chuckle.

Growing up with a pastor for a father and teacher for a mother, the music teacher's education came naturally for Brian. Already as a 10-year-old, he turned pages for his mother while she played piano for a choir performance of The Messiah.

Although his career is a high school music teacher, being in church seems very natural, he claims.

Our Savior's Senior Choir varies between 25 and 40 voices, since there are many "snowbirds" that fly south in winter.

At the end of each school year, the church holds a music appreciation dinner, at which there have been as many as 80 to 100 participants.

It is no wonder the singers, musicians and directors are looking forward to Sunday, when past members of youth and adult choirs are invited to come back and help celebrate Our Savior's 50th anniversary.

About 20 former members are expected to show.

That might bring the number of combined adult singers up to 70 or more.

"So it's exiting. It will be fun. And we will have some of the past choir directors, too, directing several pieces."