Worship Ministries

Rev. Hilla Lahtinen will serve as the New director of Worship Ministries effective January 1, 2019.

See: Rev. Hilla Lahtinen

An adaptation of the  carol “Away in a Manger” is provided here by the Kanata Centre at Martin Luther University College.  See:  Away in a Manger (alternate text) (2)

Engraved for use at Mount Zion Lutheran Church by Pauline Finch, this music is free to be copied and shared.

Still looking for Christmas Eve resources?

Pastor Rick Pryce, Lunenburg, offers his dramatic reading from Christmas Eve 2016 as a resource.

Christmas Eve Dramatic Readings (1)

Away in a Manger will most certainly be sung over the Christmas season. Sometimes it is hard to shift from a sentimental singing of the “little Lord Jesus no crying he makes” to the hard realities of the world. Inspired by Inshallah singing Shirley Erena Murray’s verses “Away and in Danger” – a carol of the refugee children (see http://www.thehymnsociety.org/singingwelcome), Allen and I wrote these verses for our upcoming Carol Sing at Kitchener City Hall where we are raising money for the local Refugee Health Centre.

Feel free to use these verses if they speak to your context with the following recognition if you choose to print them: alternate lyrics: Allen Jorgenson and Debbie Lou Ludolph (c) Kanata Centre, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, 2017.

Be near us dear Jesus

we ask you to stay

close by us forever

to shape loving ways.

To live with each other

as one human race

Show us how our weakness

is God’s place of grace.

2018 Companion of the Worship Arts Call for Nominations

The Program Committee for Worship, on behalf of the National Bishop, calls for
nominations to the Companion of the Worship Arts. This is an honour conferred in
recognition of significant contribution to the worship life of the ELCIC at a local,
synodical, and national level. The honour recognizes the recipient’s ongoing inspiration
and encouragement to others, together with service to God through worship,
spirituality, and the arts.

Please include these supporting materials with your nomination:
1. Reasons for the nomination; i.e., biographical material with a listing of the
person’s specific contributions to the worship life of the ELCIC (examples
should include national, synodical, and local involvements)
2. An indication, with examples, of the ways the person continues to inspire and
encourage others in the worship life of the church
3. A minimum of three letters of support for the nomination from others familiar
with the individual’s contributions.

The honour will be conferred at the ELCIC/ACC National Worship Conference in
Victoria, BC, in 2018. (www.nationalworshipconference.org). Current members of the
Program Committee for Worship are not eligible for nomination.

Send nomination materials by February 15, 2018 to
Kathryn Smith
8 Jodi Place
Guelph, ON N1H 7R1
519-822-4097
jeffkatejb@rogers.com

At the synod/seminary sponsored Music Makes Community event this past summer, I taught a number of songs along with teaching practice skills that are part of the MMC core principles. Here are two you-tube clips that could help you teach these pieces paperlessly — both are found in Inshallah’s songbook “Sing the Circle Wide” published last November, available from Sperling’s Church Supply in Waterloo.

Who will set us free? (well suited to Advent)

Palestinian Hallelujah (well suited to singing at the time of the Gospel Acclamation when you are speaking about the synod’s relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land or making prayers for peace in Palestine/Israel)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWQezCzazpg

Jamie Courtney, Minister of Music at Trinity Lutheran Church, New Hamburg, reminds us of the gift of a cappella singing:  “A cappella,” when translated from Italian, doesn’t, in fact, refer to the absence of instruments. ‘In the manner of the church/chapel’ is the simplest translation. Wisely, our understanding of voices-only singing, has its roots right here, in the worship space.” (Trinity Dove, 2013)

Join Dr. Wendell Glick as he draws from practices and postures of an a cappella congregational singing tradition to provide perspectives that can help enable the congregation’s voice in accompanied traditions. Considerations will include strengths and challenges of incorporating unaccompanied singing in worship settings, examining textural priority (congregation vs. organ vs. choir, etc.), use of physical space, leadership strategies, formative patterns, congregational buy-in, and listening tips.

November 13, 7 pm, WK United Mennonite Church, Waterloo.

For more information, see Singing Faith – Nov 13 2017 FINAL

Sponsored jointly by the Kanata Centre for Worship and Global Song, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary and The RCCO Waterloo Wellington Centre chapter.

Check out the books and downloads for Advent and Christmas published by Wild Goose, Iona’s Publishing House.    Wild Goose Advent Resources

John L. Bell will lead a congregational sing

“The Unsung Jesus”

on Monday evening October 23rd

at 8 pm at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 

1585 Yonge St (just north of St. Clair Avenue).

This event is free and open to the public.

There may be a freewill offering.

real_presence._word-2017-09-23