Howdy! I’m Abi Urton, and I sing alto in J209. Music has always been the most genuine way I connect with Jesus Christ. I’ve never been great with words, but when I sing, I feel His presence settle in my soul. It’s where I’m most vulnerable, most open, and most real with Him. A music teacher once told me, “Sing to inspire, not to impress,” and that idea changed everything. I don’t sing for applause—I sing to worship, to testify, to give God the vessel of my voice.

That connection didn’t come all at once. For a long time, I thought I had a strong relationship with Christ, but I didn’t realize how much deeper it could go. I knew His name, but I did not know His desire to know mine. I started praying as if Jesus were sitting right beside me—just talking to Him. That simple shift in my daily prayer, opened my heart in a new way. I began to see that He had known me all along, waiting for me to reach out. Since joining J209, that relationship has only grown. God has used this group to stretch me, strengthen me, and carry me through some hard seasons. When I sing with J209, I’m reminded that God is near, that His love is real, and that He can use our voices to bring hope to others—just like He’s done for me. So, I will bring the music—God will bring the hope.