Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
November 1, 2019 e-newsletter
Dear friends,
 
In this season of thanksgiving and stewardship the words of a simple song have been on my lips and mind as I think about the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians: "Give thanks with a grateful heart." This year I am most grateful for you and your participation in ALCM. I give thanks that our membership is growing thanks to diligent work from our board and staff. I give thanks that this year we enjoyed a wonderful national conference in Portland and many other smaller Hearts*Hands*Voices one-day workshops around the country. ALCM's board gives great thanks for all those that worked diligently and gave of themselves to make those events happen. I also give thanks for ALCM's awesome publications that continue to inspire and grow in depth and content as well as our new streaming resources and content-packed website full of new and time-tested resources. If you haven't logged in recently, you should. In short, to all who over this past year nurtured those who work to nurture the song of the church, thank you! You are the heart of ALCM, and for that, I am grateful.

Giving thanks, with a grateful heart!
 
Ryan K. Hostler
President, Region 2
Register for the next ALCM webinar!

Thursday, November 7, 2019

2:00 pm Eastern time

How to Integrate Jazz in Worship
(even if you're not a jazz musician)

Presented by
Deanna Witkowski

Deanna will offer accessible jazz resources that you can immediately use with your congregation or choir, including fully notated piano scores of her original prayer responses, Mass settings, and jazz arrangements of standard hymns. She will also demonstrate basic exercises in improvisation and how to harmonize a simple melody with just two unexpected chords. Check the ALCM website for additional information.

ALCM members, be sure to log in to the members area and follow the link on the members area page to receive the discounted price of $25.

Register Now!

Last chance in 2019 to attend a Hearts*Hands*Voices event:

Lenoir-Rhyne University - Hickory, NC
Friday Evening, November 1, 2019: All Saints Program
Saturday, November 2, 2019: HHV Event
Contact: Ryan Luhrs
Online registration is closed; walk-ins are welcome!

Locations for 2020 Hearts*Hands*Voices events that have already been confirmed include:

Claremont, CA
Dublin, OH
Edmonds, WA
Hickory, NC
Irvine, CA
Jacksonville, FL
Lancaster, PA
Lansing, MI
Madison, WI
Marquette, MI
Perrysburg, OH
Sioux Falls, SD
St. Peter, MN
Valparaiso, IN
Winston-Salem, NC

Watch upcoming e-newsletters for additional sites and event details.

Interested in hosting a local workshop in 2019 or 2020? Contact Sally Messner at  [email protected] . 

Plenary presenters include James Abbington, Antonio Alonso and Karol Kimmell. A plenary panel discussion will be led by Paul Westermeyer.

It begins with breath: the breath of an individual, the breath of a community. As with the Spirit that hovers in creation, infusing creation with life anew, the Spirit is at work in and through breath joined to heartbeat. Singing is natural to creatures, as hymn writer Robert Lowry asks rhetorically, "How Can I Keep from Singing?" In response to God's revelation in Christ by the Spirit's power, we cannot help but sing. 

"Receiving the Day "
A Retreat Preceding the
Institute of Liturgical Studies
 
Sunday, April 19 - Monday, April 20, 2020
Lindenwood Retreat Center, Donaldson, Indiana
 
Dorothy Bass and Lorraine Brugh, leaders
 
In the second week of Easter, this 24-hour retreat will be an opportunity to live into a time and space away from our church vocations. Through presentations, spiritual practices, and conversations, retreatants will explore various ways to rest, recuperate, and recover from the busyness of the Lent and Holy Week liturgies. Using the book Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time* by Dorothy Bass, the retreat will follow the book's patterns in looking into our use of time in everyday lives. Spiritual practices will include contemplative walking, journaling, labyrinth, spiritual conversation, worship, centering prayer, and hospitality.  


ALCM Launches New Partnership Program

ALCM is seeking to establish long-term partnerships with Lutheran congregations, college/universities, and other institutions that support ALCM's mission: to nurture and equip musicians to serve and lead the church's song. This partnership program aims to bring ALCM closer to other organizations by enabling collaborative opportunities in programming. These events can be developed jointly between ALCM and the hosting entity (public events such as hymn festivals, special worship services, Hearts * Hands* Voices workshops, dedicated concerts, among other possibilities). Monies received from these partnership events will be directed toward expanding ALCM's outreach activities, recruitment, and educational efforts at the local and national levels.
 
Participating institutions will become ALCM hosting sites and be recognized as partners in mission. Similarly, participating church musicians, educators, and leaders who join us in this promising venture become ambassadors for the organization. The goal of this project is for ALCM to develop new and stronger connections with other institutions, as well as to help the Association become better known within the Lutheran community. If you have a passion for ALCM and its future and would like more information about how you can participate in this program, please send an email to [email protected].



WELS Hymnal Project Update

If you've been following the WELS hymnal project--or even if you haven't--check out the project update that was published this summer. This update contains a wonderful overview of the project. The hymnal is scheduled for release in Advent 2021. Numerous related and support materials will follow.

 
Now is the best time to Nominate a Student for LSM 2020.  Application fees are waived until November 1st!  All they need to do is Apply Online by 11/1 to take the first step toward a life-changing summer.
 
One alum says of their LSM experience:
 
"I am who I am because of LSM. Almost every day I reference something from LSM or rely on the experience and growth I gained at LSM."
 
Be the one to help a student take this important first step into a summer of community, exciting musical challenges, and exponential personal growth.  
Email LSM Admissions with questions about LSM 2020. 

Quicklinks