Strengthen Your Congregation’s Song: October Worship Resources
Fall choir webinars begin October 23, and Lutheran Summer Music’s priority enrollment discount ends December 1. ELCA Worship’s October 2026 partner roundup offers learning opportunities for musicians, worship planners, pastors, and young people across the Grand Canyon Synod.
In our Lutheran tradition, congregational song gives voice to the gospel and helps us respond to God’s grace together. These resources offer practical ways to support that ministry, whether your congregation has a small choir, an established music program, or young musicians ready to grow.
Online learning for choir leaders. The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM) offers three fall webinars:
October 23: Recruiting a Choir in a Post-COVID World, with the Rev. Steven J. Basselman.
November 13: Choosing Music for Smaller Ensembles, with Dr. Marin Jacobson.
December 4: Choral Rehearsal Techniques for Aging Voices, with Andrew Peters.
All sessions begin at 2 p.m. Eastern. The complete series costs $25 for ALCM members or $39 for nonmembers, with recordings and handouts included. Learn more and register.
A summer of faith and music for youth. Lutheran Summer Music 2027 welcomes musicians in grades 8–12 to St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, June 27–July 25, 2027. Students participate in ensembles, private lessons, electives, and daily worship. Congregations can nominate students; students who apply by December 1, 2026, receive a $100 priority enrollment discount. Explore the program and apply.
Upcoming gatherings for church musicians. The Vi Messerli Memorial Lectures in Church Music, themed “For All the Saints,” take place October 18–20, 2026, at Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, Illinois. The program includes workshops, recitals, choral music, and a hymn festival. Limited scholarships are available for college students and those new to church music. Friends registering together can each receive $25 off using FRIEND2026. Find program and registration details.
ALCM’s 2027 Hearts • Hands • Voices workshops, “Pulling Stops and Raising Voices,” feature Nicole Busarow on organ registration for hymn playing and starting a children’s choir. Gatherings are scheduled for January 30 in Portage, Michigan; February 20 in Carmel, Indiana; and March 6 in Worthington, Ohio. Visit ALCM for registration and schedule details.
Resources to explore anytime. The roundup also introduces Concordia University Chicago’s Center for Church Music, which supports research and education in Lutheran church music, and Music That Makes Community, which offers paperless song-leading resources and opportunities to build connection through shared singing.
Read ELCA Worship’s full October partner newsletter and resource roundup for all program links and details. Share it with your congregation’s musicians, worship team, and families of young musicians.
