Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources and events from other organizations and institutions. These Lutheran and ecumenical partner organizations work alongside the ELCA to support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers in a monthly blog post.
Vi Messerli Memorial Lectures in Church Music
For All the Saints
October 18-20
Concordia University Chicago
River Forest, Illinois
Join us for another exiting year of celebrating the Church’s song at the Vi Messerli Memorial Lectures in Church Music. This year’s presenters include: Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in the Bronx, NY and Atlantic District president (LCMS), Marin Jacobson, director of choral activities at Valparaiso University, the Kantorei from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, under the direction of Kantor Kevin Hildebrand, and a hymn festival led by Daniel Schwandt, now cantor at Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, plus many practical and thought-provoking workshops.
The event will begin on Sunday afternoon with a stellar piano recital by the director of Concordia’s Preparatory and Community Music Program Katrina Sudman and Vincent Catalano.
The Lectures in Church Music website is www.CUCHICAGO.EDU/LCM26 If you wish, you can access the brochure here. Online registration is available here and within links in the brochure.
Registration fees are provided on page 9 of the brochure. A limited number of scholarships are available to college students and those new to church music. Bring a friend to Lectures and get $25 off the registration when each of you registers! Please use the code FRIEND2026.
Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival
Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.
Enrollment Open for Lutheran Summer Music 2027
Youth musicians in grades 8-12 are invited to Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) 2027 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN! LSM is the nation’s premier faith-based music academy for high school students. Churches from around the country send students to LSM for an unforgettable summer of musical growth and connections in faith and community. Students work with nationally recognized faculty and gather daily to share musical gifts in worship. Academy offerings include large ensembles (band, choir, orchestra), chamber music, private lessons, and electives like handbells, intro to the pipe organ, jazz, musical theatre, composition, conducting, church music, and more. Churches are encouraged to nominate students, and students can apply now through December 1 for a Priority Enrollment $100 discount.
Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
ALCM nurtures and equips musicians to serve and lead the church’s song.
2027 Hearts Hands Voices Events
Pulling Stops and Raising Voices
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Portage, Mich., Jan. 30, 2027, 9 a.m. — 12 p.m.
Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Carmel, Ind., Feb. 20, 2027, 9 a.m. — 12 p.m.
All Saints Lutheran Church, Worthington, Ohio, March 6, 2027, 9 a.m. — 12 p.m.
October 23: Recruiting a Choir in a Post-COVID World, The Rev. Steven J. Basselman
November 13: Choosing Music for Smaller Ensembles, Dr. Marin Jacobson
December 4: Choral Rehearsal Techniques for Aging Voices, Andrew Peters
Center for Church Music
The Center for Church Music, on the campus of Concordia University Chicago, provides ongoing research and educational resources in Lutheran church music.
Introduction to the Center for Church Music
Rooted in Christian contemplative and activist traditions, Music That Makes Community envisions a liberative culture that empowers individuals and communities to claim and use the power of singing to heal our spirits, nurture our common lives, and work for justice.
What is Music that Makes Community?
Music that Makes Community focuses on fostering connection, spiritual engagement, and shared leadership through the practice of singing together. The organization emphasizes paperless song leading, a method where participants learn and share songs without printed music, promoting oral tradition and active participation. Explore the website to learn about workshops and retreats as well as online and community events. Song resources for singing in community are available for public use.