Avenue Trio, Danny Funderburk to play free benefit concert Sunday

Trinity Lutheran Church will hold a free benefit concert for the Lutheran Family and Children's Services (LFCS) at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Christian musicians Avenue Trio and Danny Funderburk are featured performers for the concert.

Doors open at 5 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Leah Kortmeyer, Trinity Lutheran's director of Christian education, said the concert was organized with several purposes in mind.

"This particular concert was simply a way to impact our community, not only for entertainment purposes but to impact a special organization," Kortmeyer said.

Tickets will not be required to enter the concert. Admission is completely free, according to Kortmeyer. The church paid for the musicians to come, but it will have a voluntary collection for concert goers who wish to donate to the LFCS.

"One hundred percent of the collection will go to LFCS," Kortmeyer said.

Kasey Kemp, emcee and vocalist in Avenue Trio, said his band has performed at Trinity Lutheran before but never for a benefit concert. He describes Avenue's music as a cross between Southern gospel and contemporary Christian.

"We use music as an avenue to share the greatest message, which we believe is the Gospel," Kemp said.

Avenue Trio will play alongside Funderburk, a soloist in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Funderburk previously sang as a tenor in a popular gospel group called The Cathedral Quartet. It disbanded in 1999.

Kemp estimates Avenue Trio may play for an hour and a half.

LFCS is a not-for-profit social services organization based in Missouri. It assists families with programs relating to counseling, adoption, child development and parenting education.

In light of the pandemic, church officials will encourage concert goers to keep safe distances from each other. Masks will not be required but are recommended, according to Kortmeyer.