Mark Burrows is Director of Children's Ministries at First UMC in Fort Worth, Texas, the site of this year's Institute. CGI participants will spend five days learning with Mark and the rest of our outstanding faculty this summer. Mark tells us about the Institute below:

What techniques will you teach at the Institute this year?

I get to enjoy being involved in three main areas – worship design with children in mind, drumming, and intermediate conducting.

What are you looking forward to the most? 

Reconnecting with CGI friends I get to see each summer, seeing real growth happen, experiencing personal growth by getting to learn from all the outstanding faculty and students!

How did you first become involved in the Institute?

The incomparable Karol Kimmell asked me. How one turns down Karol Kimmell, I’ll never know.

What makes the Institute different from other educational programs for children’s choral leaders?

It is holistic. When you come to CGI, you get a TON of material and it is immediately useful.

Aside from intensive choral methods training, conducting, and repertoire you’d expect at a summer program, there are vocal modelling classes, worship seminars, multiple worship service experiences, drumming, small groups, and actual time and energy devoted to self-care.

When you leave at the end of the week, you feel full, not drained!