Dixieland/jazz band, “The Jumpin’ Jehosafats!”

will be in concert Wednesday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m., at the Staples United Methodist Church.

The Jumpin’ Jehosafats! began 15 years ago when a group of United Methodist pastors was asked to provide music for a pastor’s school event.

From that humble beginning, this group has gone on to become one of the most sought after dixieland/ jazz bands in Minnesota.

They now consist of an ecumenical mix of clergy and lay folks whose mission is to lift the spirits of people and raise money for a variety of charities. They have played at many churches and nursing homes, jails, Salvation Army shelters, camps for disabled adults and at mission sites in Jamaica.

Their music is described as “lively and fun.” It includes some of the standards like “Basin Street Blues,” “Amazing Grace” and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee;” as well as some original songs by the band members.

Rev. Lyndy Zabel is the band’s leader. She is the associate pastor at Anoka United Methodist Church and leader of OC Ministries, a mission organization that builds and supplies schools, churches and clinics in West Africa and the Caribbean.

The concert in Staples will raise funds to train and place evangelists and pastors in the rural villages of Sierra Leone and help build churches and clinics in that West African country.

Staples United Methodist Church is located at 310 5th Street NE. For more information, call 218-894- 2248.