The congregation of the Whidbey Bible Fellowship was pleasantly surprised and blessed on a recent Sunday morning.

Just moments before service began, the back doors of the worship hall opened and a large group of young men began filing in — two and three at a time — until several pews in the back of the hall were packed.

As the service progressed, their young voices joined the congregation filling the hall with beautiful hymns and praise.

At the conclusion of the worship service, the congregation of the Whidbey Bible Fellowship discovered the 16 young men were alumni of Azusa Pacific University, a Christian Bible college near Los Angeles, Calif.

For the past several years, the friends, nicknamed “The Flannel Gang,” have annual reunions where they spend a week reminiscing and renewing their friendship. This year, they chose a relative’s vacation home on Maxwelton Beach.

They stayed for refreshments and a time of sharing, visiting and exchanging contact information with members of the congregation. They promised to return next year, and members of the church promised to have some scrumptious homemade goodies on hand to make “The Flannel Gang” feel like family.