The Grammy-nominated, internationally-acclaimed African Children’s Choir has performed at the International Club of Berlin and the London Palladium.

This weekend, the choir of youngsters from some of Africa’s poorest countries will be sharing its powerful Christian message at Kings Fork Middle School.

NewLife-Suffolk is sponsoring the choir’s performance, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

The choir also will appear during the non-denominational church’s two services at 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday at the Holiday Inn.

The choir is made up of children between the ages of 7 and 12 from the African countries of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana. It has released numerous albums over the past two decades.

The African Children’s Choir was formed in 1984, after a missionary went to Uganda to try to do something about the thousands of orphans dying of starvation in a bloody civil war, according to the organization’s Web site. After much prayer and help from church groups, the first ACC was selected and brought back to the United States.

The choir performs a lively mixture of praise songs, traditional African folk songs and African-American spirituals.

Admission to the performance is free.

Prior to the performance, NewLife – Suffolk will be giving out more than $1,500 in prizes for an essay contest. Winners from three grade levels were selected from more than 150 entries contributed by Suffolk Public Schools students.

Tickets are available at the Christian Bookstore, NewLife – Suffolk, Open Door Church, Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, New Mount Joy COGIC, Liberty Baptist Church, Nansemond River Baptist Church, Magnolia United Methodist Church, East End Baptist Church and Metropolitan Baptist Church.

For more information, call 255-2929.

allison.williams@suffolknewsherald.com