AUSTIN, TX—Covenant Presbyterian Church’s youngest choir, Spring 2024

The Praisemakers are the four and five-year-old division of the local church's children's choir. Meredith Weatherby, whose husband and children were, too, kids in the choir years ago, leads them. This past spring they geared up for their annual Palm Sunday performance.

Though the music is rooted in Christian values, Meredith Weatherby, who leads the four and five-year old choir, finds the experience extends beyond that. “This is a place where we use kids to lead us, we don’t often do that in the church.” Weatherby said. “It is a huge thing for these kids to feel like they have this place, this responsibility.”

The Christian values of love and acceptance are a cornerstone of the music they learn, which is how she hopes the kids can engage with their faith. But above all else, Weatherby finds the community aspect most important for the children. 

“I want them to have fun, I want them to make a friend, and I want them to feel loved,” Weatherby said.

Young choir alums can never stray too far away. For Weatherby’s children, and what she hopes for all of the others, Covenant will always be a place to belong.

“When they come back to this place, there’s a sense of home,” Weatherby said.