The Festival By the Sea music festivals, begun in 2000, grew out of a need to provide high-quality music festivals for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches. This has grown into an ecumenical series of festivals encompassing Youth Choirs and Adult Choirs. Noted clinicians provide leadership for the festivals helping participating choirs achieve levels of performance not normally attained in the local church setting. Choirs leave challenged to work harder and strive for greater achievement in their local music programs. One of the hallmark features of these festivals has been the deeply spiritual worship experiences that have been designed to coincide with the music that has been prepared for the festivals. Not only do participants learn to sing but they learn to integrate their music into a worship framework that has meaning – engaging the heart, mind, and spirit. Additionally, the festivals have provided an opportunity for participants to meet others with similar music interests and build relationships that will last for years to come.