Pre-conference Opportunities:

One-on-One with Maren Tirabassi

Join Maren Tirabassi for a private one-on-one session to discuss your publishing hopes, or to learn more about the world of worship book publishing.  The sessions will be scheduled for twenty-minutes on Friday afternoon beginning at 2:00 p.m.  You must sign-up in advance on the registration website.  Appointments are limited, so sign-up early!  This is a rare opportunity to talk with a widely respected author and UCC all-star!  YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE for the one-on-one time.  Send an email here to register for a one-on-one.

Enliven Congregational Singing: Training in Song Leading with Mark Bowman

Do you have a passion for enabling persons to lift their voices in prayer and praise to God that you want to develop?  Recovering this role of “song leader” is the most effective way to enliven your congregation’s singing.  Mark Bowman will lead this interactive seminar in techniques for effective song leading for twenty-first century worship.  Seminar includes opportunities for participants to practice song leading skills.  Participation limited to 10 persons.  Participants also encouraged to register for Bowman’s two workshops during the conference to further build their song leading skills. (Please note that the seminar runs from 2:00-5:00 p.m.)  Read more about Mark Bowman.  YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE for this seminar.  Send an email here to register for the seminar.

Evaluate Your Organ or Piano Technique with Bryan Lohr

Join Bryan Lohr in private sessions to evaulate your organ or piano playing technique.  Please prepare a three minute piece.  Bryan will provide feedback on your performance and will discuss ways to enhance your technique.  Sessions will be held at the church.  Transportation will be arranged.  YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE for time.  Send an email here to register for the evaluation.

Registration is now closed.  To inquire about attending, please email Scott Ressman.

NEW this year: suggest a favorite anthem to be sung during the new and favorite music reading session.  You must suggest the anthem by April 15th so that it can be included in the music packet.  Not all anthems may be included.  To suggest an anthem, send the name, publisher, and catalog number, along with your name and contact information to Scott Ressman.  If you want to direct the anthem, please include that in your email as well!

Workshops:  (Additional workshops will be added. Check back often!)

"A Joyful Sound" - Countess Clarke Cooper

Countess leads participants in a praise and testimony period like one commonly experienced in many African-American worship settings.  Hand-clapping, toe-tapping and tambourines are welcome!  A discussion will follow. 

Direct a small choir?  Join Barbara as she shares some of her favorite small choir anthems.  While these anthems are for lesser numbers, that doesn't mean that they are small on theology or musical interest.  Participants will have a chance to sing through some of the anthems.  Barbara will also share tips with working with smaller numbers.

"Burned Out and Bummed Out - I'm Just Plain Tired!"  - Scott Ressman

Do you sometimes feel like nobody's listening?  Maybe you're feeling spiritually undernourished?  Wondering how you can motivate others when you're having trouble centering yourself?  Join Scott as he suggests some simple, yet effective ways to feed your soul and energize your spirit for ministry.

"Children’s Choirs, Another Perspective" – Rodney and Jennifer Milton

We all know just how much fun it is to work with children’s choirs!  Yes, it is indeed a blessing (at least most of the time).  It’s also a big responsibility!  The choral formation that they receive early on will lead them into the next-step choir in the church.  So, what we teach and offer in the first years of singing is important.  There’s no reason why a children’s choir can’t be excellent, whether you have three kids or thirty.  Jennifer and Rodney will teach some easy songs that children will pick up and make their own.  They’ll also offer practical advice about managing a children’s choir, how to get the parents on board, and how to incorporate the children’s choir into worship.

"Choral Accompaniment Skills and Rehearsal Technique" - Sonia Morales-Matos

Learn how to enhance your accompaniment skills when working with your church choir director.  Tips will be given for how to "read" the choir director so that valuable time isn't wasted during rehearsal.  Participants will be taught an anthem during the workshop to demonstrate good communication between the accompanist, choir director, and the choir members.

"Connecting with Your Youth Choir" – Rodney and Jennifer Milton

Ever wonder if you’re speaking a different language when it comes to your youth choir?  Challenged by getting your youth to sign up for the choir and then actually get them to show up?   Struggling to find music that will connect with them?  Join Rodney and Jennifer Milton, members of the General Synod band in Tampa, as they offer tips and techniques to work with youth choirs.  Rodney works with a middle school music program, and is eager to share his wisdom with you.  Rodney and Jennifer will offer some songs from Sing! Prayer and Praise that work well with youth choirs and suggest ways to add harmonies and rhythms, and maybe even movement!

"Dancing in God's Name" - Edward Lawrence

"Let them praise God’s name with dance." (Psalms 149:3)
Join one of the principal dancers from General Synod Grand Rapids and Tampa to explore simple, everyday movements to glorify and honor God in this liturgical movement workshop.  "Demystify liturgical dance" as you come to see dance as regular, everyday movements set to music and spoken word.  Participants will have the opportunity to have their movements incorporated into one of the worship services, as well as present and lead the congregation in their movement choices.  (Read Edward's bio.)

"Dancing in the Light" - Edward Lawrence

How do we interpret the spoken word  - the liturgy - with dance?  With creative movement!  Look at liturgy with new eyes as Edward teaches painless and non-threatening ways to add dance to worship.  Easy movements can highlight, enhance, and animate the spoken word.  This workshop will focus more on individual and small group dance/movement.  (Read Edward's bio.)

"Exporing Faith Practices" - Ted Huffman

Church musicians do not need a workshop to understand music as a spiritual discipline.  Communicating this truth with other members of the congregation, including pastoral staff can, however, be a challenge.  Faith Practices is a family of resources that takes seriously the integration of worship, arts, music and story.  This workshop provides an introduction to the resources and gives opportunities for “hands on” experiences with Faith Practices Resources.  (Workshop leader is pastor and author Ted Huffman who enjoys working with a team of three musicians and three ministers to plan and lead worship in Rapid City, South Dakota.)

"Hymn Playing in Your Church" - Bryan Lohr

Join Bryan as he demonstrates simple yet effective techniques for improving your hymn playing skills.  Learn how to lead the congregation in spirited singing and how to teach them to sing better through your accompaniment skills.

“I Will Sing a New Song to You, O God”: Songwriting Basics for the Local Church - Christopher Grundy

Bring an instrument if you want. This workshop will discuss some of the basics of being a songwriter in a local congregation.  How do I go about writing songs?  How should I ask to share them?  How do I know if they’re any good?  Depending on how things go, we will most likely attempt a group co-write (write a song together), and then provide space for some sharing of music. 

"Just Plain Having Fun With Rhythm!" - Sonia Morales-Matos

Welcome back Sonia as she shares her love of all things rhythmic!  Spice up your congregational song with simple rhythms.  Workshop participants will learn how to bring rhythm to even the most conservative congregation -- painlessly!

"Music, Preaching and the Holy Spirit:  The Spiritual Adventure of Worship" - Paul Hobson Sadler

If worship music is intended to be more than “religious entertainment,” then there is a necessary three faceted relationship that must exist between worship music, the preached word and the Holy Spirit.  Come and find out how to play your role more effectively in the exciting spiritual adventure that we call worship, with Paul Hobson Sadler. 

"Punctuate Worship with Songs" - Mark Bowman

Is your congregation’s Sunday singing comprised of three hymns and maybe a doxology? Learn how you can enrich worship gatherings with choruses that envelope prayer, engage scripture, illumine rituals and provide flowing transitions.  The workshop continues the pre-conference song leading seminar, but is open to all conference participants.

"Resources for Planning Handbells in Worship" - Suanne Comfort

Handbells in worship can be so much more than preludes and offertories.  Bells can add a moving touch to every aspect of the service.  Wonderful resources are available for using bells in worship throughout the church year and in contemporary services. (Read Suanne Comfort's bio.)

"Sing! Prayer and Praise for One Piano and You!" - Barbara Hamm

Most of us don't have praise bands in our church.  Barbara shows how to best utilize the music in Sing! Prayer and Praise with just you and a piano (or keyboard).  Barbara will demonstrate easy ways to teach new songs and how best to introduce them to your congregation. 

"Singing the Message of Spirituals and Hymns" - Countess Clarke Cooper

Back by popular demand, Countess shares gospel variations on traditional hymns and spirituals through performance and discussion. You won't want to miss this workshop!

"Succeed in Teaching New Songs" - Mark Bowman

Contrary to common perceptions, any congregation can become adept at, even look forward to, learning new songs in worship.  Discover practices to enable congregations to have positive experiences singing new songs.  The workshop continues the pre-conference song leading seminar,but is open to all conference participants.

 "The Composer's Heart" - Craig Courtney

Craig Courtney will share his faith journey and discuss the stories and events behind 12 of his anthems.  Complimentary copies will be provided.

"'Traditional' Music (and Worship), 'Untraditionally'" - Bryan Lohr

Some out-of the-box ideas to help churches who are secure with the organ/choir/hymnal model build new and vital connections with their congregations and community. 

"Warming Up More than Voices - Enriching the Spiritual Life of Church Musical Groups" - Maren Tirabassi

Let's respond to these questions: Is the choir the easiest or hardest place for new church members to be at home?  Can the pastor/choir "pre-game prayer" mean something?  How do you heal intra-choir conflict, or praise band/choir conflict or conflict between musical group and board or pastor?  Can rehearsal time have a faith life with integrity that embraces musicians who are not Christians?  How can church musicians prayerfully support one another's life changes and challenges?

"Web-Streaming, Podcasts, YouTube, Projections, OH MY!" - Scott Ressman 

You're probably breaking the law and "not knowing" doesn't count!  Join Scott as he talks about some of the copyright issues involved with your music ministry, including those involving placing your worship services on the internet, or duplicating them for "shut-in" use.  An informative, fun workshop on a rather heavy topic!

"Worship Alive!" - Cliff Aerie

Author Madeleine L'Engle wrote, "God is constantly creating, in us, through us, with us, and to co-create with God is our human calling . . . Unless we are creators we are not fully alive."  If we are the creative children of the Creator why is it that Sunday morning is often the least creative time of the week?  It’s time to re-imagine the creative possibilities of embracing the arts in worship!  Celebrate your inner artist as we explore "playfully alive" worship.

Not seeing a workshop that would be helpful for you?  Suggest a workshop here.