Singing Their Story

Bob and Barb Huston love music. They used to listen to worship music on YouTube every day. Even though they lived in Illinois, the First Baptist Dallas iCampus YouTube channel popped up on their feed in 2019. The couple was in awe the first time they heard the First Dallas Choir & Orchestra sing “Thou, Oh Lord.”

“I couldn’t believe they sang with a full orchestra. We started watching and playing song after song.” Bob turned to his wife Barb and shared a thought: “Wouldn’t it be great if the Lord somehow opened the door for us to sing in this marvelous choir?”

The couple booked a trip to visit First Baptist Dallas in 2020, but the pandemic changed those plans. So the couple started engaging with the iCampus. “Connections happened online, and we got to know people more personally.”

When First Dallas announced that Chris Tomlin would be coming to lead worship on Palm Sunday in 2021, the Hustons rebooked their trip to Dallas. On their first visit, Barb says, “The church gave us the perfect first impression.” Bob agreed, “We were so smitten with the friendliness of the people here.” The Hustons attended Wednesday night choir rehearsal and were introduced to the entire choir. Bob recalls this special memory: “We got a standing ovation of welcome!”

Thinking back on this moment, Bob says, “It’s hard to know if something is a feeling or God calling you, and being there made it sure feel like a calling.” Bob and Barb felt a stirring to be involved in what God is doing here at First Dallas. As they headed back to Illinois, the Lord kept opening doors for them to return to Dallas. They spent several months here in 2022–2023, but Barb says, “It wasn’t enough. We felt like we were being called here, but we felt like we had responsibilities back home. This is not a period in our story; it was a comma. We are coming back.”

As they continued to wrestle with this, the Hustons felt the Lord leading them to relocate to Dallas. They relocated here permanently in October of last year. They already feel at home. Bob says, “Our church and our choir here treat us like family, and they have embraced us totally!”

This step of faith has opened up avenues for outreach to others. Bob explains, “We tell people our story. They ask why we moved here from so far away, and we tell them, ‘just to sing in the choir at First Baptist Dallas.’ It’s easy to tell people why we are here. And the next thing we know, we are inviting them to church.” The move has also deepened their faith and trust in the Lord. Bob reflects on what he and Barb have learned over the last several years: “You can count on God to take you to places you don’t expect. He has a plan and purpose.”

Through Mission 1:8 One Desire, we have been encouraging every member of our church to take a significant next step in their walk with the Lord. Faithfully going where He calls you to go—even when you don’t know exactly where it will lead—is part of what it looks like to make Christ your one desire. Serving and pleasing Him is what we seek, above every other pursuit in life (2 Corinthians 5:9–10). As Bob and Barb have discovered, this is where joy is found!