As much as music has changed in Sunday morning worship services, so has the music during the annual Festival of Faith.
It will be no different this year when a community worship band takes the stage for the second time in three years.
The 20th annual Festival of Faith, sponsored by the Ellis County Ministerial Alliance and Hays Area Chamber of Commerce, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
The band, put together by Liberty Christian Fellowship pastor Steve Dinkel, will practice for the first time Saturday, so it's anyone's guess as to how many guitars, synthesizers and other non-traditional instruments will be a part of this year's band.
"It's a growing number in the church that actually experience worship that way," Dinkel said.
Members from his Liberty Fellowship, as well as Westview Church, Celebration Community Church and Cornerstone Baptist Church, participated in the first worship band that plays a more contemporary style of music than the traditional hymns.
It's been Kay Werth's job for the last eight to 10 years to find a balance between that traditional and contemporary music style.
"My position -- �it's really just to try to find a variety of music representing all different styles and different faiths throughout the local area," said Werth, who is a member of the Festival of Faith planning committee and an instructor of music at Fort Hays State University.
Along with the worship band, there will be duets, solos, music from some of the past festivals and a few congregational hymns this year, Werth said.
"All generations and all styles," she said.
Community choirs, bell choirs, string quartets and many other ensembles have highlighted the festival in previous years. And just like the community worship band this year, those groups are coming together for a common interest, Werth said.
"It just shows that it is one spirit."