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.
Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
ALCM nurtures and equips musicians to serve and lead the church’s song.
“For all that is to be” Summer conference
Aug. 4-8, 2025
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Join us in Raleigh! Mark your 2025 calendars now for August 4-8 and plan to register in the “Early, Early” category, which will offer substantial savings. Registration will open in September.
Music that Makes Community (MMC) practices communal song-sharing that inspires deep spiritual connection, brave shared leadership, and sparks the possibility of transformation in our world.
Late summer greetings to you dear ELCA siblings!
As you turn toward your Fall Programming, Music that Makes Community invites you to consider the following events and resources for continuing education, community building, professional development, and celebrating this practice of paperless communal song-sharing. Here are a few workshops in the South, Northeast, and Upper Midwest this fall. Join us in:
- Waco, Texas: Saturday, Sept. 28 for a One-Day Community Singing Workshop at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. As part of the 3-day residency, join us for a Friday evening Community Sing and/or worship on Sunday morning. Click here for more details.
- New London, N.H.: Saturday, Oct. 5 for a One-Day Community Singing Workshop at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Click here for more details.
- Chippewa Falls, Wis.: Oct. 11-12 for a Friday night Community SING and Saturday morning, 1/2 Day Community Singing Workshop at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Sponsored by the Lay School of Ministry, Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA and several local churches. Click here for more details.
Do you dream of different ways we can be church? Join MMC and others from many denominations at A New Day Draws Near: A Conference Reimagining Church and Community held in Minneapolis, Minn. from Monday evening, Sept. 16 to Wednesday evening, Sept. 18. Click here for more information.
The Sacred Lands Playlist Project is in the process of reviewing submissions. Thank you to all who submitted! Mark your calendars for 6-7:30 p.m. Central on Wednesday, Oct. 2, for a hybrid gathering in Minneapolis to learn songs on the playlist, meet their creators, hear the stories of how they came to be, so you can faithfully carry these important songs into your communities. This event will be recorded so you view it afterwards. Stay tuned to register for location details and a Zoom link.
Communities around the nation are gathering together to sing and build bridges of connection. Join one of these if they’re near you or start your own (we can help you with that; just reach out!):
- Albuquerque, New Mexico – 1st Tuesdays (except August: on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 6:30-8 p.m., the Albuquerque MMC group will be hosting a Community SING Fundraiser in Albuquerque, N.M. at the Norbertine Abbey Church. Join us for a potluck gathering beforehand or just to sing! Click here for more details.)
- Brownsburg, Indiana – 1st Tuesdays
- Chicago, Illinois – 3rd Wednesdays
- Ellensburg, Washington – 2nd Thursdays
- Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota – varies; next is Wednesday, August 28, 2:30 p.m.
May communal song be a prayer that offers you and yours collective expression and support during the highs and lows of these days.
Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival
Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.
Did you miss LSM 2024? Don’t worry! You are invited to revisit over 30 concerts, recitals, and worship services from LSM 2024 on demand in LSM’s Livestream Archive. With so many great performances and inspiring services, you don’t want to miss out.
Resources from the Center for Church Music
The Center for Church Music is a place where one can tap into an expansive library of resources and perspectives on the music and art of the church, with a focus on a Lutheran context.
“Profiles in American Lutheran Church Music” presents video interviews with prominent ELCA church musicians Martin Seltz (interviewed by Rev. Craig Mueller) and Paul D. Weber (interviewed by Barry Bobb) have recently been posted to the website of the Center for Church Music.
Augsburg Fortress Events and Resources
Augsburg Fortress is an imprint of 1517 Media, the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Living the Promises of Baptism: 101 Ideas for Parents
Of all the gifts parents can pass on to their children, faith is the most precious. The heart of our role as Christian parents is sharing and living out that faith with the children God gives us. This small book is filled with concrete ideas for celebrating with your children the gifts of baptism in daily living. Meals, bedtime, play, seasons, milestones, transitions-all these occasions and more become opportunities for practicing faith.
Assembly Song Companion to All Creation Sings
Assembly Song Companion to All Creation Sings will be an essential reference resource for church musicians, pastors, and others who help plan assembly song. This accessible manual gives the context, origins, and character of the texts and tunes in All Creation Sings as well as practical guidance for musical leaders. It is especially useful when paired with the Hymnal Companion to ELW and the Musicians Guide to ELW.