On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons (for both the in-person conference and the virtual track), one-hour Spotlight Sessions will actively engage participants around our conference theme and provide attendees the opportunity to hear more from the some of our In-Depth presenters and others as well. Many of the sessions are offered more than once. Registration for the Spotlight Sessions is not required.
View In-Person Spotlights View Virtual Track Spotlights
In-Person Spotlight Sessions
Tuesday Wednesday
Tuesday Sessions:
Artful Imagination and the Rhythms of Life
PEder jothen (session also offered on wednesday)
How do worship and the arts help us do the daily work of re-imagining ourselves as Children of God? How do both yet help us inhabit the everyday dimensions of our lives, especially amidst both the highs and lows of existence? These broad questions will form the basis for this session, which asks us to think together about how worship and art call us to live more deeply into the shared stories of our faith through practices such as
communal participation, emotional catharsis, and sensual engagement. The Christian story is one that helps us understand our despairs and our hopes, as well as everything in between. We’ll think about the theological importance of stories and interpret examples of how Christian hymns and visual art reveal and intertwine with this complex, fractured Christian narrative. Doing so helps us see anew the power of art to help us both re-imagine our lives and practice our faith amidst the rhythms of our days.
Webcasting for the Church Made Practical
Jeffrey O’Donnell, Sean Tonko, Becca Beam
St. Olaf College’s Broadcast / Media Services team will lead attendees through discussion of best practices for creating engaging and technically sound audio and video broadcasts. These techniques can make your stream stand out and help your virtual parishioners feel fully engaged in the worship experience, even when not in your sanctuary in person. Topics will include discussion of practical techniques and affordable equipment to support video, audio, lighting, and streaming transmissions. Please come with questions! We will leave ample opportunity to explore the systems in Boe Memorial Chapel and discuss common experiences and issues in the realm of audio / video support for the church.
Sacred Art: Imagining Together
Katherine Parent (session also offered on wednesday)
In this session, participants will be invited to join conference artist in residence Katherine Parent to explore how faith and visual arts intersect in communal sacred art practices. This session will be hands-on: come ready to create with open hearts!
If You Build It, Will They Come?
Heather Potter (session also offered on wednesday)
Even before the pandemic, the landscape of the American church children’s and youth choir was shifting. Now, more than ever, it may feel like navigating foreign territory. In this session we will seek together to address the needs and realities of children and youth choirs in contemporary times. Bring your collaborative spirit and a heart of hopefulness!
Discovering New Voices: Female Organists and Composers
Catherine Rodland (Session also Offered on Wednesday)
A look at some of the music composed by females throughout music history and in the current times. Also information on how to find music of historical female figures and how to support some of our living composers.
We Belong to Each Other
John Sall (Session also Offered on Wednesday)
The formative and collaborative experiences of worship connect us to God and neighbor by nurturing relationships and creating community, but we have recently become painfully aware of how isolated we all are when these experiences and relationships are strained or broken. In addition to the communities of congregations and neighbors we identify, this session makes a plea for the active nurture of professional and collegial communities we belong to as well. With my own experience as a member and leader in the Presbyterian Association of Musicians as a starting point, we’ll consider the value of investing what we can share with our community of peers and identifying what we need from them.
To Repair: Imagining What Repair Looks Like in Your Faith Communities
tesfa Wondemagegnehu
In summer 2021, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu embarked on a 60 day, 40-stop research pilgrimage across the eastern half of the United States, collecting narratives from community members, activists, artists, clergy, and politicians whose work focuses on repair. He talked with anybody who had things to say on this subject and most of their work on repair was directly tied to saving the soul of this nation. If we fix the problems within the Black community; if we truly prioritize making the last become our first, ALL our disenfranchised communities will begin to thrive. This isn’t just an American issue, it is a global issue, and it is an issue that can only be solved by all stakeholders and institutions humbling themselves and realizing that the Answers have already been given to us. The Universe has been longing for us to wake up; hoping we begin to radically love and serve our neighbors by sharing all that we have of ourselves. This Spotlight Session will feature reflections from Tesfa’s journey and have participants consider the questions: What is the role of my community and church in advocating for justice and repair? What does doing the work of racial reckoning, reconciliation, and repair look like?
Wednesday Sessions:
“SCULPTING” AND “SCAFFOLDING” – Finding new Efforts and Energies for your conducting gestures and rehearsal process
Therees HIbbard
This session will explore the use of concepts from methods such as Laban Effort-Shape, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Dalcroze Eurythmics, and BodySinging to refine and refresh your conducting techniques and expand your gesture vocabulary. We will then examine ways to connect them to the vocality and physicality of your rehearsal process.
Artful Imagination and the Rhythms of Life
PEder jothen (session also offered on Tuesday)
How do worship and the arts help us do the daily work of re-imagining ourselves as Children of God? How do both yet help us inhabit the everyday dimensions of our lives, especially amidst both the highs and lows of existence? These broad questions will form the basis for this session, which asks us to think together about how worship and art call us to live more deeply into the shared stories of our faith through practices such as
communal participation, emotional catharsis, and sensual engagement. The Christian story is one that helps us understand our despairs and our hopes, as well as everything in between. We’ll think about the theological importance of stories and interpret examples of how Christian hymns and visual art reveal and intertwine with this complex, fractured Christian narrative. Doing so helps us see anew the power of art to help us both re-imagine our lives and practice our faith amidst the rhythms of our days.
Practical Questions for the Church Musician: Licensing and Copyright
Mark lawson
This session will address topics related to copyrights and licensing issues faced by church musicians. Topics will include:
- What licenses are needed in different situations.
- When do I need to get a license?
- How do I educate my church about copyright?
- Why is this all so complicated?
Sacred Art: Imagining Together
Katherine Parent (session also offered on wednesday)
In this session, participants will be invited to join conference artist in residence Katherine Parent to explore how faith and visual arts intersect in communal sacred art practices. This session will be hands-on: come ready to create with open hearts!
If You Build It, Will They Come?
Heather Potter (session also offered on Tuesday)
Even before the pandemic, the landscape of the American church children’s and youth choir was shifting. Now, more than ever, it may feel like navigating foreign territory. In this session we will seek together to address the needs and realities of children and youth choirs in contemporary times. Bring your collaborative spirit and a heart of hopefulness!
Introducing the New ELW Worship Supplement—All Creation Sings
Nathan proctoR
All Creation Sings was published in 2020 as a supplement to Evangelical Lutheran Worship and features two liturgy settings, 200 hymns, and many prayers and other resources for worship. This session will feature an overview of this new supplement, give us a chance to sing some of its liturgy and hymns, and talk about the ways ACS can help us join our voices with the whole creation God so marvelously made.
Discovering New Voices: Female Organists and Composers
Catherine Rodland (Session also Offered on Tuesday)
A look at some of the music composed by females throughout music history and in the current times. Also information on how to find music of historical female figures and how to support some of our living composers.
We Belong to Each Other
John Sall (Session also Offered on Tuesday)
The formative and collaborative experiences of worship connect us to God and neighbor by nurturing relationships and creating community, but we have recently become painfully aware of how isolated we all are when these experiences and relationships are strained or broken. In addition to the communities of congregations and neighbors we identify, this session makes a plea for the active nurture of professional and collegial communities we belong to as well. With my own experience as a member and leader in the Presbyterian Association of Musicians as a starting point, we’ll consider the value of investing what we can share with our community of peers and identifying what we need from them.
Virtual Spotlight Sessions
Tuesday Wednesday
Tuesday Sessions
If You Build It, Will They Come?
Heather Potter
Even before the pandemic, the landscape of the American church children’s and youth choir was shifting. Now, more than ever, it may feel like navigating foreign territory. In this session we will seek together to address the needs and realities of children and youth choirs in contemporary times. Bring your collaborative spirit and a heart of hopefulness!
CANCELLED: Intersection of Faith and Activism through a Cultural Lens
kelly sherman-Conroy
Religious leaders across the country from many faith traditions have joined with Black churches and other faith groups in calling for police reforms and the dismantling of racism after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Some have marched and carried signs, while others have spoken at rallies or served as protest chaplains. Many have also fostered discussions about racial justice in their congregations.
What would our role as faith-filled activists look like if we reconnected with the heart and soul of our relationship with God and the intended connection to all created on this land. Can a new perspective guide us to a deeper understanding of the importance of activism in a way that honors relationships as children of God to each other and to the creation and in turn fuels the fight against injustice and inequality.
Wednesday Sessions
Introducing the New ELW Worship Supplement—All Creation Sings
nathan Proctor
All Creation Sings was published in 2020 as a supplement to Evangelical Lutheran Worship and features two liturgy settings, 200 hymns, and many prayers and other resources for worship. This session will feature an overview of this new supplement, give us a chance to sing some of its liturgy and hymns, and talk about the ways ACS can help us join our voices with the whole creation God so marvelously made.
Fostering Inter-religious Relationships
St. olaf college ministry team
The St. Olaf College Ministry Team is a multi-religious staff. With Lutheran Christian pastors and Chaplains for Jewish and Muslim Life, we work to support the religious lives of all students and to make connections between people. In this Spotlight Session, the College Ministry Team will present ideas on building and fostering inter-religious relationships at work and in the community.