MIFFLINBURG — For the last 15 years, The Garms Family has taken to the road to present gospel music concerts to audiences across the United States.
It was not the life they had planned for themselves, but they wouldn’t trade it for the world.
“I consider it a great blessing to travel and minister with my family,” said Kris Garms, the mom of the family. The group also includes her husband David and six of their eight children: Ben, Taylor, Leesha, Sam, Jayme and Caleb. Kris is the main bassist and sings lead and harmony vocals.
The Garms Family will present a concert at 5 p.m. this Sunday at Mifflinburg Church of the Nazarene.
According to Wayne Krell, pastor of the church, The Garms Family presented a concert there last fall, and “we definitely wanted to have them come back this fall,” he said.
“I think they are outstanding musically, and such fun people to be around.”
Krell said the community is invited and encouraged to attend.
“Our goal is that those who come will be able to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, enjoy the music, and enjoy being together,” he said.
Musical journey
Kris’s musical journey began when she was a teenager. Her father would sometimes ask her to play the piano, and they would sing hymns out of his favorite hymnbook, she said. She later recreated that memory by playing and singing at home with her own family. Together, they also discovered the Bill and Gloria Gaither “Homecoming” video series and fell in love with southern gospel music.
“We started attending concerts in our local area, and we were hooked!” she said.
The kids, all homeschooled, also became interested in playing instruments. Using money from their own savings, they each bought an instrument that interested them and learned how to play it. Though Kris had a few years of piano lessons as a teen, no one else in the family has taken formal vocal or instrumental lessons. Kris said some of them read music, but most play by ear.
As their love of music continued to develop, people began asking them if they did concerts. In 2008, a promoter asked the same question, and they decided to say “yes,” and their journey began as openers for an upcoming concert. In 2010, when David lost his job as an aircraft mechanic, the group began singing together full-time.
Kris said they love working together as a team, both on and off the stage, though she jokingly admits that “eight different personalities and opinions can be a joy and very challenging at times.”
The challenges, however, are always overcome through their unified mission.
“Ultimately, our goal is to share encouragement and the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music with all who attend,” Kris said.
‘Nights of Encouragement’
During the COVID shutdowns, the family began what they called “Nights of Encouragement.” Though their travel ministry was brought to a halt, they sang together at home for Facebook and YouTube audiences. They recorded more than 50 mini-concerts that are still viewable online.
Now that they are traveling for concerts again, Kris said they continue with the same spirit of those “Nights of Encouragement.”
“We take that concept on the road, sharing our smiles, stories, songs and the message of hope in Jesus Christ,” she said, adding that they “desire to be a blessing” to others.
The Garms family averages 75-80 concert dates each year. In 2019, they moved to Wisconsin, where they purchased a 55,000 square-foot school building that they are renovating into a Christian music and event center. Kris said their adult children have been able to use the space to accommodate their individual business ventures in the music business. The ministry center includes recording, graphic design, virtual orchestration and photo studios. They are also working on establishing a large venue in the full-size gym for future concerts and events. Visit www.TheGospelGym.com for more information.
