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Council This & That |
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Worship and Music Chair Worship is at the core of Martin Luther Church, and as a congregation we are committed to making a joyful noise unto the Lord whenever we gather. MLC's Worship Exploration Team seeks to continue to expand the repertoire of music and liturgy that nourishes us spiritually, engages our congregants at all levels of musical ability, and shares the Word of God with all who are present. We remain particularly grateful for Lani Knutson as she completes her first full year as MLC's Music Director, and Lois Fuhrmann, our dedicated and talented church musician. I have worshipped at no other congregation that has as extensive a rotation of volunteers for assisting ministers, lectors, ushers, greeters, bread bakers, communion presenters, altar guild folks, and a whole host of other weekly duties that enable our worship to proceed so smoothly each Sunday. In February, MLC's assisting minister and lector volunteers gathered for a training session to strengthen our skills and discuss the best practices for assisting in worship at our congregation. The sessions went extremely well, with a great turnout, and a lively discussion that has already resulted in some changes on Sunday mornings. Another recent change has been that we no longer expect assisting ministers to sing liturgy; a separate rotation of cantors is being set up by Lani. This change will allow folks who were not interested in "singing a solo" in front of the congregation to be confident assisting ministers, and will also allow folks who were not interested in mastering the communion wine chalices to sing liturgy. This past year's worship schedule introduced new liturgical music from the ELW hymnal in Epiphany and Advent, and also revisited many old favorites. In the coming year, we plan to continue to renew and expand our rotation of familiar worship music, while remaining true to our Lutheran heritage. In May, we introduce Pastor Kris is in the process of putting together another new member group. Those joining the congregation will be welcomed on Sunday, May 23rd, with the orientation date to be determined. If you are interested in joining MLC, or know someone who is, please contact Pastor Kris (ktotzke@juno.com). May 23rd is the last Education Hour/Sunday School until the Fall. Mark Walth's "Celebration" liturgy, originally written for the Lutheran campus ministry at University of Nebraska, Lincoln. In the fall, we will try out another liturgy by Marty Haugen, author of the much-beloved "Holden Evening Prayer" we use during Wednesday Lenten services. It remains a great pleasure to be MLC's Worship and Music chair. Please do not be shy about letting me or my committee members know how we're doing.
Respectfully Submitted, |
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