ELCA Worship

Augsburg Fortress is the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers that support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from other partners in a monthly blog post.

See Me, Believe Me: An Updated Guide to Deepen Allyship with Congregational Leaders of Color

In this updated edition of See Me, Believe Me, Rev. Dr. Yolanda Denson-Byers offers an honest and unflinching look at the challenges faced by leaders of color in the predominantly white ELCA. The book contains a new chapter reflecting on the ground-breaking election and leadership of ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry and includes excerpts from her interview with him. Her insights and concrete suggestions for action illustrate how seeing and believing leaders of color are essential steps in the journey of allyship. Chapters beckon readers to acknowledge ignorance, respect boundaries, join in celebration and lament, offer reparations, and continue doing their own work to dismantle racism and live into the fullness of loving God and neighbor.

Lutheran Study Bible, Second Edition (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Lutheran Study Bible, Second Edition, features the NRSVue translation and introductions, notes, and articles written by more than seventy Lutheran pastors and teaching theologians. Explore the Bible and its message through solid background material, unique Lutheran insights, and questions for reflection and discussion. Reader-friendly, inviting, and engaging, this is the perfect study Bible for those who want to encounter scripture and dwell in God’s word!

Kids Celebrate Lent and Easter, Young Reader

For grades 1 – 3. Engage your young church-goers in the passion story with activities and explanations for young readers. A perfect size for pews, activity bags, or home use. Quantity per package: 12.

Augsburg Organ Library Series 2 Lent

Augsburg Organ Library: Lent, Series II, contains 43 pieces for worship or recitals based on Lent hymn tunes. The Augsburg Organ Library is a highly acclaimed multi-volume series that reflects the twentieth century renewal of the organ and its music.

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.

Institute of Liturgy Studies

An ecumenical conference on liturgical renewal for the church today.

The Feast of Creation – liturgy as creation groans
Valparaiso University, Ind.
April 13-15, 2026

Registration is now is open.
Early Registration: $350, ends Jan. 31, 2026
Regular Registration: $450
See website for other registration categories.

The 77th meeting of the Institute of Liturgical Studies will consider the possibilities of such a festival and season. We will reflect on creation, incarnation, and Jesus’s death and resurrection, all received by us through the created materiality of our sacramental life together. Furthermore, we will examine how petroleum culture has influenced our sacramental life and begin to envision ways to counter its impact. A model lectionary will be used, and sample liturgies will be celebrated.

The schedule, plenary speakers and workshop information are now available.

To receive notifications when new information is added to the site, add yourself to the mailing list here.

Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

ALCM nurtures and equips musicians to serve and lead the church’s song.

ALCM 2026 Conference “Now and Forever”
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
Registration is now open.

In 1986, forty years ago, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians held its constituting convention at St. Olaf College, setting out to become a professional organization that would lift up the role of church music and to equip leaders to be able to lead the church’s song. For more details, visit alcm.org.

Celebrating the 1986 ALCM Constituting Convention
Overlapping with Lutheran Summer Music’s Festival Week!
Featuring Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Bach Collegium Valparaiso, Christopher M. Cock, artistic director. (Made possible through generous support provided by Pauline and John Kiltinen.

Music that Makes Community

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.

Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival

Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.

Nominate Young Musicians for Lutheran Summer Music
Now is the time to nominate students for LSM 2026. Enrollment for next summer is filling quickly, and we expect most remaining spots to be filled by the March 1 Standard Enrollment deadline. At LSM, students connect advanced musical study with worship and the joy of Lutheran church music traditions. We welcome musicians on all instruments—brass, woodwinds, strings, percussion, piano, organ, voice, and harp—to study with nationally recognized faculty in a welcoming and supportive community.

LSM 2026 takes place at St. Olaf College from June 21–July 19. Know a young musician (grades 8–12) who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them today at LSMacademy.org/nominate Questions? admissions@lutheransummermusic.org.

Center for Church Music
offers 2026 Awards for College and Seminary Students. . .

THE 2026 WILLIAM WOLFRAM STUDENT AWARD IN LITURGICAL ART
Recognizes student artists who evidence:
* Commitment to Christian faith and practice
* Excellence in artistic expression
* Commitment to creating pieces purposed for use within worship settings
$1,000.00 prize

Deadline: May 1st, 2026 Submit a single PDF with quality images of your work, one full image and one or two detail images along with title, media, dimensions, year created, and anything else you want the judges to know. Send to Barry.Bobb@CUChicago.edu (Recent grads—since May 2024—may also apply.)

THE 2026 RICHARD HILLERT AWARD IN STUDENT COMPOSITION
Submitted piece must be a church music composition (3-5 minutes in length) – suitable for a liturgical service.
$1,000.00 prize

Deadline: June 1st, 2026 Submit two copies (one with your name and one unattributed). Recordings are encouraged but not required. Send to Barry.Bobb@CUChicago.edu (Recent grads—since May 2024—may also apply.)

Augsburg Fortress is the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers that support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from other partners in a monthly blog post.

Love Outpoured: Devotions for Lent 2026

Love Outpoured focuses on portions of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans. In words that continue to speak to us today, Paul lays out foundational beliefs for a life of faith in Christian community. The daily devotions for each day, from Ash Wednesday to the Resurrection of Our Lord / Vigil of Easter, begin with evocative images and brief scripture texts. The writers then bring their diverse voices and pastoral wisdom to the texts with quotations to ponder, reflections, and prayers.

May God’s love pour out into us and through us to our neighbors, churches, communities, and all creation!

Serving Through Sound: A NEW Webinar Series from Augsburg Music

Register today for this FREE Music Webinar Series from Augsburg Fortress Publishers! Join David Cherwien for a journey through hymnody, improvisation, the church music community, and more. On Jan. 27, 2026, 11 am CST, we’ll host the first webinar titled “Venturing Beyond the Page: Hymn Improvisation to Enliven the Assembly’s Song.” David Cherwien will share practical tools for easy hymn improvisation along with creative organ registrations that add contrast and interest to assembly singing. He’ll also offer suggestions on how to introduce new hymnody and craft memorable hymn festivals. Register today!

Martin Luther’s Easter Book

This powerful book of passages from Martin Luther’s Easter sermons portrays the reformer’s lasting thoughts on faith, human imperfection, salvation through grace, and the wonder of God. The sermons explore events from Holy Week through the Resurrection. They combine marvelous insights with inspiring calls to action that are so characteristic of the great reformer: “The resurrection consists not in words, but in life and power.”

Bible People: Monologues for Lent

This collection of dramatic monologues is ideal for congregations looking for something fresh and new. Contains six monologues based on Biblical characters, including Peter’s mother-in-law, Lazarus, and Mary Magdalene. Use for mid-week services or as an add-on to traditional Sunday worship. The “How To” guide helps congregations just getting started with dramatic ministry, and each monologue includes a study guide. (This product is a downloadable PDF that can be reproduced for local church use.)

Augsburg Fortress is the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers that support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from other partners in a monthly blog post.

Calendar Collection

The new year approaches – do you have your 2026 calendars needs covered? A spiral-bound wall calendar for planning with beautiful art that helps you keep time in the office, sacristy, and home (Calendar of Word and Season Year A)? Check. Single page church year calendar with specific dates, Bible readings, hymn of the day, and liturgical color for Sundays and festivals of the church year (Church Year Calendar, Year A 2026)? Check! What about a spiral-bound planning calendar that is both an appointment calendar and a workbook for preparing worship (Worship Planning Calendar: Sundays and Seasons, Year A 2026)? You got it.

In a job where you plan seasons in advance, let these resources help you find the future date you need, and then return to a reminder of what season you are in right now (hint: you are currently in Advent)!

Together by Grace

The next two Together by Grace: Bible Conversations installments are here! John and Psalms were released on Nov 3^rd and are ready to expand your small group study! Written by Rachel Wrenn (Psalms) and Katherine M. Lewis (John), this accessible and flexible study will guide your group to Gather, Dwell, and Engage with these texts.

ENDING DEC 31! Buy one Facilitator Guide and get its Participant Guide FREE. Use codes TBGROMANS, TBGMATTHEW, TBGPSALMS, and TBGJOHN to start today! (Offer good in the continental US only).

Making Melody to the Lord: A Robert Buckley Farlee Hymnary

This collection contains forty-five hymn tunes and several texts by Robert Buckley Farlee, a gifted pastor, musician, and leader of assembly song. His carefully crafted melodies excite the theological imagination of the singing assembly and encourage a fresh perspective even on well-known texts in the collection. Other text writers include Susan R. Briehl, Thomas H. Troeger, Susan Palo Cherwien, Mary Louise Bringle, Isaac Watts, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Splash! Turns 21!

For over 2 decade, Splash! has provided an easy, affordable way to connect with families of young children in your congregation. These monthly newsletters for kids from one to 36 months support caregivers of infants by helping them incorporate faith formation into the events of daily life. They include articles about child development and faith formation, ideas for Bible storytelling, prayer, worship, play, and more. The back includes a John Bush cartoon and a prompt that invites parents to think about the articles, along with the mailing panel that makes it easy to fold and mail to families. This line also carries a guide for godparents and a keepsake book for faith moments. Check them out today!

Now through the end of the year, you can receive free shipping on five or more Splash! Packs! Use the promo code STILLSPLASHING when you place your order. (Continental U.S. only).

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.

Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival

Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.

2025 LSM Musical Advent Calendar
Nov. 30 – Dec. 24

Experience the fifth annual Musical Advent Calendar from Lutheran Summer Music with daily musical meditations to inspire reflection throughout the season. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, with all videos archived at LSMacademy.org/acal.

P.S. It’s also time to nominate students for LSM 2026! Help a young musician experience a transformative summer of music, community, and faith at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Nominate them today at LSMacademy.org/nominate.