The Hillsdale College Hymn Singing Club performs the hymn “Amazing Grace” for fighterfighters on 9/11 Courtesy | Instagram

Hundred-year-old songs echoed throughout the football stadium earlier this semester as a group of students chose to honor 9/11 and Hillsdale firefighters by singing hymns.

“It was a really inspiring and solemn occasion,” said Conal Kerwin, a freshman who attended the tribute. “The firefighters were so grateful and appreciative for us being there and singing about God on such a solemn day.”

The event was one of many performances held by the Hillsdale College Hymn Singing Club, a student group dedicated to sharing their faith through Christian hymns.

Every Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m., the club gathers in the Howard Music Hall to study and sing hymns and practice for its upcoming performances.

“The goal of our club is to bring the gospel to people through music,” said junior Stephen Zhu, president of the Hymn Singing Club.

The club started a year ago as an informal group of students who gathered and sang hymns in their free time. This past spring, it became an official student club after being approved by the Student Federation.

The group dedicates the first 30 minutes of every meeting to studying a different hymn. Every week, one of the four board members presents the history, context, and spiritual significance of the hymn they are learning.

“It’s easy to sing nice music and not really think about what it means,” Zhu said. “But really, a good hymn will be full of scriptural truths that can help us draw closer to God.”

Junior Hannah Wong, vice president of the club, said the weekly hymn studies help them sing the hymns in a more truthful and honest way.

“We don’t just want to sing music,” Wong said.“We want to see that these hymns are coming from the truth and the word of God. They have no meaning apart from what is written in the Bible.”

The club has studied many hymns, including “Amazing Grace,” “Be Thou My Vision,” and “Jesus Loves Even Me.”

After studying a hymn, the club spends the next half hour singing any hymns that people request. Wong said the goal of this portion of the meeting is to focus on fellowship and praising God.

In the final half hour of their meetings, they practice hymns to perform for different organizations.

Most recently, the Hymn Singing Club performed at Bread of Life, a food pantry at Current Church in Hillsdale. At this performance, Zhu shared a passage from Isaiah 53 about Christ’s sacrifice.

“We wanted to encourage the people who were there,” Zhu said.“We don’t know how many of them are believers, but we want to encourage the believers and non-believers alike and put all the focus on God and what he has done for us.”

Before they sing each hymn, one of the members gives a short presentation about what the hymn means and what it says about the gospel. Wong said they want to help people at the food pantry understand the spiritual meaning of famous hymns.

“The people who will be visiting the food pantry likely know the hymns we sing,” Wong said.“They probably know these hymns very well, but maybe have not thought about many of the words before. It’s a unique opportunity to share the gospel.”

The Hymn Singing Club has done many other public performances since the start of the semester. They have performed at Hillsdale Hospital, the Hillsdale County Medical Care Facility, and around campus.

Kerwin said he believes music can be a powerful tool for sharing the gospel and uplifting believers.

“I think when people see the beauty in music, they can also see the beauty in God’s creation,” Kerwin said.