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. 

Sundays and Seasons Music Leader Module

Deluxe subscribers may now enhance their SundaysandSeasons.com experience by adding the Music Leader Module. This module allows subscribers to download accompaniment files for the hymns in Evangelical Lutheran Worship and All Creation Sings, and the accompaniments for Psalter for Worship (A, B, and C) and Psalm Settings for the Church Year. At launch, the accompaniments for ELW’s ten settings of Holy Communion will also be available. The accompaniments for Holy Communion liturgies from All Creation Sings and the Service of the Word and Daily Prayer liturgies from ELW will soon follow.

Outside the Lectionary

Many music planning tools are built around the lectionary, helping worship leaders select music that complements the appointed Scripture readings. Yet the life of the church includes many meaningful occasions that do not fit neatly within the lectionary calendar. To support those services, we’ve gathered choral, organ, and piano suggestions for six themes that regularly arise throughout the year. Use code MOREMUSIC26 to receive 15% off these titles!

Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Pastoral Care

This compact volume contains prayers, readings, and rites for use in a variety of situations and occasions, including expanded prayers and resources for life passages. Lay persons as well as clergy will find support here for their ministries of caring. Also available as an eBook.

Embodying Confidence and Grace: A Handbook for Presiding Ministers

In a grace–filled manner, Callista Isabelle offers wise counsel on how presiding ministers plan, prepare, preside, and then reflect on the assembly’s worship. The author encourages presiding ministers to carefully prepare their voices, bodies, and spirits as a sign of respect to the assembly to whom they have been called. They are invited to approach this calling with care and humility so that they can be fully present and confident in their abilities to lead and serve.

“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.

Prayer Prompts:
For peace and reconciliation among the nations, especially in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Mali, South Sudan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Ukraine, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Venezuela…
For victims of storms and natural disasters, especially in Nepal, Indiana, Arizona, New York, and Texas; and for all facing extreme temperatures…
For urgency in addressing the perils of climate change…
For victims of gun violence, especially in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Tuscon, Arizona…
For migrants who died at sea near the Canary Islands…
For immigrants and international travelers and workers…
For election officials in the United States and around the world…
For those who work, those who seek employment, and those who are retired…

Events & Observances:
September Observances: National Suicide Prevention Month
Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig, bishop, renewer of the church, died 1872 (Sept 2)
International Day of Charity (Sept 5)
Labor Day (Sept 7)
Peter Claver, priest, missionary to Colombia, died 1654 (Sept 9)
Patriot Day (Sept 11)

Prayers from ELCA Resources:
A prayer for social justice (ELW p.79)
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may move every human heart; that the barriers dividing us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; and that, with our divisions healed, we might live in justice and peace; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer for refugees, migrants, and immigrants (ACS p.51)
Holy God, as you have accompanied your people through times of captivity, wilderness, and exile, shelter and sustain all those who flee persecution, oppression, warfare, violence, hunger, and poverty. Open our hearts and homes, our gates and our doors, so that they find safety, peace, and welcome—a place to live in freedom and without fear, through Jesus Christ our refuge and our hope. Amen. 

Prayer and worship resources for the 25th anniversary of 9/11 are available here.

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ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement

Additional topical prayers are found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pp. 72–87) and All Creation Sings (pp. 46–55), as well as in other resources provided in print and online at sundaysandseasons.com.

Crafted intercessions for every Sunday and festival are provided in the Sundays and Seasons worship planning guide published in-print and online by Augsburg Fortress. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession

Prayer Ventures, a daily prayer resource, is a guide to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world.

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.

Missed LSM This Summer? Watch on Demand

The LSM 2026 season may be over, but the inspiring music continues online.

Watch more than 40 concerts, worship services, recitals, and special events from this summer whenever it’s convenient for you. Catch up on the performances you missed or experience your favorite moments. Enjoy the Bach Cantata Eucharist, Festival of Hymns, plus performances by the Festival Band, Choir, and Orchestra, and many more joyful moments from this summer’s season. Visit our website to browse the replays and start watching today with LSM On Demand!

Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

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

Fall Webinar Series

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

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. Please note that the early registration fees apply until September 15. 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.

The Church Music Institute

The Church Music Institute is dedicated to the advancement and stewardship of the best liturgical and sacred music for Christian worship, serving clergy, musicians and congregants. Offerings include educational workshops and courses, inspirational festivals of church music, newsletters addressing current issues in church music, and online and print resources.

Invitation to Early Career Church Musicians: Apply for the Dr. Paul Lindsley Thomas Society

The Paul Lindsley Thomas Society benefits trained musicians who want to further their understanding of church music.  Membership is by application, asking respondents to react to the document “Aspiring to the Ideals of Paul Lindsley Thomas” as they view their own calling as church musicians.

Accepted applicants will enjoy monthly online meetings with other early career church musicians to share and learn about church music, admission to online and in-person CMI events, and complimentary CMI membership to access the 65,000 title choral and organ libraries. Apply at HERE and email a resume to info@churchmusicinstitute.org, include “PLT Application” in subject line.

Submission Deadline:  September 1, 2026

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 of Word and Season: Sundays and Seasons, Year B 2027

Celebrate the church year through the vibrant art of Kelly Latimore. This beautiful full-color wall calendar combines inspiring contemporary iconography with practical tools for worship planning and daily life. Featuring striking artwork by acclaimed iconographer Kelly Latimore, each month invites reflection on faith, justice, and the presence of God in the world around us. Alongside stunning artwork, the calendar identifies church festivals, U.S. and Canadian holidays, and includes all Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sundays and major church festivals throughout the year. Spiral-bound and punched for hanging.

Around the Circle: Celebrating the Church Year

Around the Circle invites young children to join the journey through the seasons of the church year. Season by season, the rich colors and meaningful symbols help young readers get to know these special times, how they connect to the story of Jesus, and to their own lives.

Evangelical Lutheran Worship Occasional Services for the Assembly

Occasional Services for the Assembly is the second volume of services, readings, and prayers in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship family, complementing Pastoral Care. Commended for use by the ELCA Church Council in 2009, this book contains more than 60 services and 200 prayers relating to congregational life that are normally used in the gathering of God’s people for worship. Featuring a durable hardcover format and ribbons, the volume is designed to be suitable for use in public worship. Also available as an eBook.

Evangelical Lutheran Worship Large Print Text Edition

Make worship more accessible to your congregants! This large-print edition of Evangelical Lutheran Worship provides the pew edition text (words only) of weekly liturgies, daily prayer services, assembly song, psalms, service music, and hymns in standard large-print type (18-point, sans serif font) and formatting. Packaged in three shrink-wrapped sets of pages in an 8 ½ x 11” size, three-hole punched. Each set begins with a title page and table of contents. Designed for storage in three one-inch binders and for assembling selected pages into a single binder for use during worship.

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.

THIS WEEK! Join us online through Live from LSM and enjoy more than 30 free concerts, recitals, and worship services streamed live from Lutheran Summer Music at St. Olaf College.

Highlights include a special guest performance by Cantus, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, the Bach Cantata Eucharist, the Festival of Hymns, and joyful performances by the Festival Band, Choir, and Orchestra.

View the full schedule and watch live at LSMacademy.org/calendar

The Church Music Institute

The Church Music Institute is dedicated to the advancement and stewardship of the best liturgical and sacred music for Christian worship, serving clergy, musicians and congregants. Offerings include educational workshops and courses, inspirational festivals of church music, newsletters addressing current issues in church music, and online and print resources.

Invitation to Early Career Church Musicians: Apply for the Dr. Paul Lindsley Thomas Society

The Paul Lindsley Thomas Society benefits trained musicians who want to further their understanding of church music.  Membership is by application, asking respondents to react to the document “Aspiring to the Ideals of Paul Lindsley Thomas” as they view their own calling as church musicians.

Accepted applicants will enjoy monthly online meetings with other early career church musicians to share and learn about church music, admission to online and in-person CMI events, and complimentary CMI membership to access the 65,000 title choral and organ libraries. Apply at HERE and email a resume to info@churchmusicinstitute.org, include “PLT Application” in subject line.

Submission Deadline:  September 1, 2026

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.
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.

Day registration is still available.

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.

Sing Many Names: Scriptural Images for God in Hymnody

No single word or image conveys the mystery of God; we need many images in lively conversation and even then, all our language cannot capture the fullness of the living God. In Sing Many Names, scholar and musician Zebulon Highben invites the reader into conversation with the abundant images for God in the Bible, dedicating each chapter to an image or group of related images. Drawing on his scholarship and using the “Scriptural Images for God” in All Creation Sings as an organizing principle, this book invites pastors and musicians, teachers and students, and all who sing to reflect more deeply on the song of the church across time and space.

Lectionary for Worship NRSVue Study Edition Year B

This study edition of the Lectionary for Worship contains the Year B Revised Common Lectionary using NRSV Updated Edition Scripture texts. Pronunciation aids and convenient summaries help lectors prepare with confidence. The lectionary includes a helpful introduction with several charts. Artwork from Evangelical Lutheran Worship introduces each liturgical season and a Scriptural Index is included. Keep a copy in your church office and sacristy and gift to a recent seminary graduate!

Hymns Together: Solo and Duet Settings for Piano and Instruments

Hymns Together: Solo and Duet Settings for Piano and Instruments provides twenty-five hymn arrangements for friends and families to play together. Each arrangement may be a solo, a duet, or an ensemble with treble and bass instruments. Difficulty levels and arrangement lengths are intentionally varied to provide a wide range of possibilities, whether the pianists are beginners or more accomplished.

Celebrating Women’s Proclamation and Leadership Resources

We mourn the loss of women’s voices in the Southern Baptist Convention. Explore these resources uplifting women in the church’s history, as well as titles delving into the expansive language present in scripture. Want more? Learn about why the ELCA affirms and celebrates women in ministry leadership in the blog by Deacon Dr. Laura Gifford titled “Poorer Indeed: A Response to the Restriction of Women in Ministry Leadership by the Southern Baptist Convention” linked on this page.

Augsburg Fortress Music Clinics – 70th Anniversary Celebration!

Locations
Columbia, S.C. — July 24-25
Twin Cities, Minn. — July 27-28
Columbus, Ohio — August 3-4
Philadelphia, Pa. — August 6-7
Chicago, Ill. — August 10-11

More information about the event and registration for a FREE music clinic near you is available here.