LPM is Coming Your Way!

Generous Scholarships are Available!

Are you a pastor desiring renewed musical leadership in your congregation? Are you a musician eager to gain more confidence in your role as a church musician? Then LPM is for you. LPM stands for the Leadership Program for Musicians, a comprehensive and accessible course of study leading to the LPM Certificate in Church Music. It is a Cooperative project of the Episcopal Church, the ELCA, PAM (Presbyterian Association of Musicians), and the United Church of Christ Musicians Association.

Beginning September 17, 2009, LPM will have a regular program in the Eastern North Dakota/Northwestern Minnesota region.

Why is it needed in this region?

Many musicians, particularly in small or rural churches, have “fallen in” to church music. Perhaps they are local music teachers who also serve a church. Or they could be pianists who are asked to play the piano or organ for worship. They may be singers or guitarists who are asked to plan and lead “contemporary worship.” In many of these kinds of situations, musicians lack training in specific sets of skills needed for leading the worship music of a congregation. It takes a special set of skills to lead the singing of an assembly, which is the principal calling of a church musician.

What does LPM offer?

The LPM program seeks to respond to many concerns: church musicians working in small churches struggling with new ways of doing things and new materials; young people with potential skills to be a congregation’s musician who need encouragement and support; established musicians who value opportunity to gather and learn from one another; pastors and laity with an interest in the music and worship of the church.

Seven skillfully written courses give students a well-rounded education: 1/ Philsophy of Music Leadership Ministry; 2/ Teaching New Music to the Congregation; 3/ Leadership of congregational Song (guitar, organ, piano, voice); 4./ Hymnody; 5/ Music and Liturgy; 6/ Resources for an Effective Music Program; and 7/ Principles of Choral Leadership.

Where and When will LPM be offered?

The LPM program will be offered in the Northwestern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota area beginning Saturday, September 19. It is open to musicians, pastors and lay persons of any denomination. A complete brochure with schedule and registration information is available through the synod office.

What are the costs?

Due to a generous worship renewal grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, generous scholarships are available for interested participants. Tuition is set at $550 per year. It is recommended that this tuition be divided between the student, the congregation and other scholarships).

To find out more about the mission and benefits of LPM, visit www.lpm-online.org and click on “what’s in it for you?”

For more information on this local program, contact Jennifer Baker-Trinity, Regional Coordinator, at jbakertrinity@mac.com or 218-938-4701.