Tag Archive for: Commission on Worship

Changes in the WELS Commission on Worship

/in

Rev. Bryan Gerlach, director of the WELS Commission on Worship, has announced his intention to retire. He will retire partially mid-2024 but continue serving until the planning for next summer’s National Conference on Worship, Music, and the Arts is completed. He will fully retire after the conference takes place July 30–Aug. 2. In his partial retirement, he also will continue to focus on two Worship publications—Preach the Word and Worship the Lord—and provide ongoing assistance to individuals and congregations on worship issues. While he serves in a part-time capacity, his title will be the associate director of the Commission on Worship.

The Conference of Presidents has asked Rev. Paul Prange to begin serving immediately as the interim director of the Commission on Worship. Prange currently serves as administrator of the Board for Ministerial Education and chairman of the Joint Mission Council. He will retain these responsibilities. Prange will serve as interim director until a staffing review takes place at the end of 2024.

As interim director of the Commission on Worship, Prange will give attention to several important initiatives, including:

  • Working on strategic planning with the Commission on Worship chairman Rev. Michael Schultz.
  • Serving on a preaching enrichment task force.
  • Helping link hymnology with the religion curriculum that is being developed.
  • Providing worship enrichment resources for new and existing home mission congregations.
  • Offering chapel planning resources for area Lutheran high schools.
  • Assisting in the advance planning for “The Foundation” resources for worship and preaching.

Because Prange’s work will take place in the areas of ministerial education, missions, and worship, he will have the opportunity to develop increased coordination and cooperation among these various synodical entities.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Introducing the new hymnal

/in

About 45 percent of WELS congregations have ordered Christian Worship: Hymnal and accompanying resources since its release in September. Most materials are now available and are being shipped to congregations and individuals who have preordered or are currently ordering. Christian Worship: Service Builder, a digital tool to help congregations with planning worship and generating service folders, is projected to be released the week after Christmas.

Resources are available to help people become familiar with some of the key new hymnal features and to help pastors guide congregations through their first use of Christian Worship materials. Resources include:

  • Introduction scripts and a dedication rite.
  • Video presentations that highlight hymns, psalms, and liturgies included in the new hymnal.
  • Concert videos.

Some congregations are planning to purchase the new hymnal and resources in 2022, including St. John, Burlington, Wis. But even though St. John hasn’t yet bought the hymnal for its sanctuary, it already has started to introduce its members to it.

In November St. John hosted a hymnal introduction seminar where more than 100 people gathered to hear presentations as well as sing selections from the new hymnal and psalter. Both books were available for attendees to examine and use—and even buy. “This hymnal is something that will touch the lives and worship of all the members of the church,” says Rev. Kirk Lahmann, St. John’s pastor. “Because of this seminar, people were able to walk away saying, ‘I really understand why this is important,’ and that generates excitement.”

Now the church is working to raise money to buy hymnals for all the pews and enough psalters for the choir to use.

Once the hymnals are in the pews, the introduction process will continue. For worship services, Lahmann plans to distribute a simple outline to congregants and then have members use the hymnal to follow along rather than a service folder. “We need to learn how to navigate the book,” says Lahmann. “If we want this to be a book that is used in worship and the home, then let’s learn how to use it.”

Rev. Bryan Gerlach, director of the Commission on Worship, comments: “We recognize that congregations can be at very different stages of evaluating and obtaining new hymnal resources. Some preordered before the books were even in print for review. Some, like Burlington, waited longer. Others might not explore options yet for months. That’s okay. Whenever a congregation is ready, the online resources will help them explore the great benefits of the new hymnal suite of resources.”

Learn more about Christian Worship: Hymnal as well as access hymnal introduction resources at christianworship.com. Northwestern Publishing House also has published shipping updates.

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

 

The new hymnal has arrived

/in

Northwestern Publishing House, in partnership with WELS Commission on Worship, is sending two copies of the new WELS hymnal and one copy of Christian Worship: Psalter to every congregation. These free copies were shipped late last week. Congregations that preordered hymnals should see deliveries begin this month.

Additional supporting resources for pastors, musicians, and worship planners will be available to congregations and WELS members, including 17 books, 3 digital products, and multiple accompaniment volumes. Nearly 100 volunteers served on 12 committees for the last 9 years as part of the WELS Hymnal Project. Learn more about the hymnal at christianworship.com.

To help introduce congregations to the new hymnal and celebrate the blessings of worship, WELS Commission on Worship is providing resources for congregations and individuals to observe National Hymnal Week, Sept. 19–26:

  • A worship service for Sunday, Sept. 19. This service will be based on the new lectionary readings of the day and include hymns and music from Christian Worship: Hymnal. Materials have already been sent to those who signed up for worship resources.
  • A hymn sing. A video recording of various choirs will lead members through hymns from different seasons of the church year. Some congregations are offering this during the Bible class hour on Sept. 19. The video will be available by Sept. 10 to assist with final planning. A promotional video preview was just released.
  • Presentations. Throughout WELS National Hymnal Week, WELS members can watch video presentations on new hymnal resources as well as on broader worship topics. Members can meet in small groups to view and discuss the presentations or watch them at home on their own.
  • Concert. A pre-recorded online concert featuring a children’s choir, chamber choir, college choir, and liturgical ensemble will be available for viewing beginning Saturday, Sept. 25.

Resources will be available at welscongregationalservices.net/national-hymnal-week.

Congregations will make their own decisions whether or not to use the new hymnal. It’s my prayer that they do. I believe that it will be a rich resource that will keep us unified in our worship and will be a blessing to all who use it.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

 

 

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

 

Worship resource previews new hymns

/in

To help WELS members get a taste of some of the new hymns that will be included in Christian Worship: Hymnal, the WELS Hymnal Project has released Christian Worship: Hymn Preview.

This digital resource showcases 54 of the more than 200 new hymns that will be included in the new hymnal scheduled to be released by Advent 2021. With each hymn is a brief comment on its origin, spiritual meaning, usage in the wider Christian church, or other interesting detail. The booklet also includes several examples of additional accompaniments that will be available for musicians in the accompaniment edition.

“It’s more than just a little appetizer—it’s a full course,” says Rev. Aaron Christie, chairman of the Hymnody Committee. “If you spend time with it, you will have an excellent sampling of the various types of hymns and concepts that are there for you in the new hymnal.”

Due to copyright restrictions, Christian Worship: Hymn Preview is only available as a downloadable, viewable (but not printable) PDF at christianworship.com. The WELS Hymnal Project has also added several other hymn resources online, including a comprehensive list of the 683 hymns planned for inclusion in the new hymnal and a list of cut and retuned hymns from the 1993 hymnal and 2008 supplement. Several articles explain more details behind the creation of a new hymnal. Read more about these new additions.

Christie prays that the preview will be a tool to help leaders make a decision about the new hymnal but also that “it gives a wide swath of members a new appreciation for the treasures we have in hymnody.”

He continues, “Spend time experiencing it. See what wonderful things are there. Work with it. Read it. Listen to it. Pray its texts.”

Learn more about Christian Worship: Hymnal at christianworship.com.

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

 

Hymns for Life: preserving a priceless spiritual treasure

/in

For many Christians, hymns are woven into the fabric of our faith lives. “Jesus Loves Me” may be the first song we learn as a toddler; “Amazing Grace” may be the last song that passes our lips before Jesus carries us home. Hymns have the power to convict and comfort, to instruct and inspire. And for many, a beloved hymn may be a memory that lingers when others are stolen by age or disease.

In 2012, the WELS Commission on Worship discussed the importance of preserving our rich hymn heritage—ensuring that the next generation of believers doesn’t lose this priceless spiritual treasure. In response, the Hymns for Life Committee was established to craft a three-year hymnology curriculum for WELS teachers to use in their primary, middle, and upper grade classrooms. Content from the curriculum can also be incorporated into Sunday school programs.

“The Hymns for Life curriculum is designed to impress the biblical truths expressed in hymns on the hearts and minds of young believers,” says Mr. Jeremy Bakken, publishing editor of the project. The title of the curriculum sums it up simply: hymns learned in childhood will stay with children for an entire lifetime. Bakken continues, “Our prayer is that students will appreciate these hymns and recall their spiritual truths in every stage of life.”

The curriculum helps students learn from and appreciate all components of a hymn: from its scriptural truths to the poetry of its language to the joy and beauty of its music.

Mr. Kevin Bode, teacher and music director at Emmanuel Lutheran School, Tempe, Ariz., is the curriculum development chair of the Hymns for Life Committee. As a teacher, he understands the need to connect young believers with hymns: “This curriculum is so important because hymns are a powerful blessing God has given us. They keep us close to him amidst all the chaos and evil around us.”

In fact, Bode has put the curriculum into practice in his own classroom. Each week, he introduces students to the content of a hymn, which is then sung each day. Once students are comfortable with the melody, Bode adds musical variations or physical movements to bring out the joy of the music: “They are simple to do, keep the hymn fresh, and students find them fun to do,” he adds.

According to Bode, two powerful elements come together in the Hymns for Life curriculum: music and biblical teachings. “Music moves the soul and has a way of touching our emotions, and we want to give students the chance to experience this. And we know the power of biblical truths and the words of Jesus. Hymn lyrics remind students what God has already done for them, is doing right now, and will continue to do for them until they are safe in his arms.”

To learn more or purchase Year A of the Hymns for Life curriculum, visit online.nph.net/hymnsforlife or call 800-662-6022. Year B will be released in the summer of 2021, and Year C will be released in the summer of 2022. All three years of the curriculum have been developed to coincide seamlessly with the new Christian Worship, which will be released in 2021.

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email