|
Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
November 1, 2025 e-newsletter
| | Greeting from ALCM Board Member Carol McDaniel | | |
On this beloved festival day of the Christian church year, I hope you can name a few people who are in your cloud of witnesses, particularly from this past year. While tradition would have us focus on those who have already died in the Lord and gone to be with Jesus, I’d like to suggest that today you add a few names of the living sinner-saints who still serve the Lord here on earth. You might think of a colleague, a choir member, a neighbor, a former student, or a beloved church member who has blessed you—just when you needed it most.
This year, I’m particularly thankful for a group of Christian saints who reside in the lovely small town of Seward, Nebraska. These saints helped me with our recent move to Nevada during my husband’s season of illness. Some of these saints prayed at Gary’s hospital bedside. Some helped me pack. Some sang, visited, and encouraged. Some listened to a volume of my tears, and some gave me a warm tender smile or a gentle hug without words. And yes, some even helped to celebrate our friendship in Christ + with yummy Walmart ice cream sandwiches, the night before the moving truck came.
These saints may never be listed on the official church calendar, and they may not have the notoriety of Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, or CFW Walther, but as a member of the body of Christ—in the year of our Lord 2025—they are in my cloud of witnesses. They loved with the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus, and for that I will be forever grateful.
Almighty God, whose people are knit together in one holy church, the body of Christ our Lord: grant us grace to follow your blessed saints in lives of faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you have prepared for those who love you; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
(LBW, p. 36 All Saints Day)
Carol McDaniel
ALCM Board Director
| | Today we remember our dear ALCM friends, family, and colleagues who have joined the heavenly chorus since All Saints Day 2024. | | |
James Abbington
Paul Baker
Eldon & Donna Balko
Mary Louise Bolek
Lorraine Brugh*
James Capers
Russell Carlson
Carol Clausen
Marty Cool
Ruth Duck
William Eifrig*
John Ferguson*
Nancy Jane Fouse
Pope Francis
| | |
Betty Gehring
Henry Gerike
Donna Hanna
Darrel Grant Haugen
Hal Hopson
Richard Jaeggi
Andrew King
Martin Marty
Donald Nevile
Louis Nuechterlein*
Catherine O'Neill
Vivian Rindelaub
Kathleen Roderer
LaRee Shebeck
Henry Sochi
| | |
May they rest in peace and rise in glory!
If there are others who should be named in future remembrances, please send an email to office@alcm.org.
* indicates a Charter Member
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
| |
|
Board Member Recommendations Wanted
The ALCM board is still accepting nominations for candidates for open board of director positions in 2026. If you have thoughts on candidates you believe should be considered for these important positions—or if you yourself are interested in serving on the board—please provide those names to past-president Nancy Raabe, who is chairing the nominating committee.
Send your suggestions to Nancy at nancyraabe@gmail.com. Nominations must be received by Friday, November 14.
| Registration is now open for the 2026 ALCM Conference to be held at St. Olaf College from July 13-16, 2026. In 1986, forty years ago, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians held its constituting convention at St. Olaf College, setting out to become a professional organization that would lift up the role of church music and to equip leaders to lead the church’s song. In the midst of our 40 year celebration, ALCM finds itself back on the St. Olaf campus to recommit to the calling of Lutheran Church music, to celebrate the last forty years, and to dream together about the next 40. Workshops, discussions, worship, and hands-on learning opportunities will focus on strengthening leaders' gifts and developing new skills in topics such as worship leadership, technology, composition, enriching assembly song and more. Confirmed workshop leaders include Anton Armstrong, Mari Espeland, Wayne Wold, Rebekah Schulz, Bill Mathis, Karoline Lewis, and more. To learn more and to register, go to www.alcm.org/2026-st-olaf. | |
Now and Forever: Endowing Our Future, ALCM's 40th anniversary fundraising campaign, continues! In the last two months of 2025 we hope to increase the number of donors this year to 440. Please join the 332 donors who have already given in 2025. Every gift helps us reach our goal of 440. For more information about the campaign or to make a donation, visit https://alcm.org/now-and-forever/. | |
ALCM has moved!
After 18 years at the 810 Freeman Street location, the ALCM office has now moved--into three different locations! We were notified by Valparaiso University earlier this summer that they were selling our building, and we would need to move by the end of September. Unfortunately, they did not have another location similar in size to the Freeman Street house--thus, the three locations. The office itself is now located in the Helge Center (adjacent to the VU Chapel). In addition, we have storage space in the basement of the VU Chapel as well as a room at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Our new mailing address:
ALCM
Helge Center
1700 Chapel Drive
Valparaiso, IN 46383
All other contact info remains the same.
For those of you whose membership is paid for by your congregation, please pass along this address change to the appropriate person so that payments go to the correct address.
| |
40th Anniversary Hymn Commission:
"O God, You Saw My Early Being"
In celebration of ALCM’s 40th anniversary in 2026, the ALCM board of directors commissioned Rev. Stephen Starke (text) and Robert Hobby (tune) to write a new hymn. “O God, You Saw My Early Being” is the result of that collaboration.
ALCM members are invited to use the hymn and setting in worship through December 31, 2025 without additional copyright permission.
| | Assembly/Congregational Song Contest | | ALCM’s board of directors is pleased to announce an Assembly/Congregational Song Contest as part of the organization’s 40th anniversary celebration. All are invited to participate for a chance to win a $1000 award and for the opportunity to have their work featured in the 2026 ALCM conference at St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN. Guidelines and rules are posted on the ALCM website along with instructions. Submissions must be received by November 30, 2025 to be considered. Questions may be sent to songcontest@alcm.org. | | | |
2025 LSM Musical Advent Calendar
Experience the fifth annual Musical Advent Calendar from Lutheran Summer Music, November 30 thru December 24—daily musical meditations to inspire reflection throughout the Advent season. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, with all videos archived at LSMacademy.org/acal.
Sign up to receive each day’s video directly to your inbox by completing this form: https://forms.gle/xfPUVkVTyUffp8PH7.
| |
|
Fall 2025 Grant Recipients
Congratulations to the following people/congregations awarded grants as part of the fall 2025 grant process:
-
Julie Bedard, Pilgrim Lutheran Church & School, Beaverton, OR - supporting the purchase of copies of the children's hymnal One and All Rejoice
-
Megan Crosby, Christ the King Lutheran, New Brighton, MN - supporting the purchase of a dry erase board and choral music for their children's choir
-
Ann Goldfinch, Grace Lutheran Church, Raleigh, NC - supporting the purchase of risers, foam, gloves, tables, cloths, polish and music for their handbell choir
-
Joshua Lindgren, Word of Peace Lutheran Church, Rogers, MN - supporting the purchase of music and rhythm instruments for a new intergenerational choir
-
Shea Velloso, Faith Lutheran Church, New Providence, NJ - supporting the creation of a new choral scholars program
Thanks to everyone who applied for grants. Even though ALCM was not able to fund each request, it is very exciting to learn about the new (and revitalized) music programs that are being instituted in our Lutheran congregations.
Watch the monthly e-newsletter for announcements regarding future grant offerings.
| | We had some really wonderful Hearts • Hands • Voices events in 2025, and we're beginning to plan for 2026. If you are interested in hosting a workshop in your area, please contact Adam Hughes at education@alcm.org. | | |
Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM
Friday, November 28 - 6:00 pm Eastern
Recognizing that virtual community IS real community, you are warmly invited to join "Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM" on Zoom every fourth Friday. Moderated by Past-President Nancy Raabe and Executive Director Jim Rindelaub, discussion will be oriented around a general theme each month, but the larger purpose is to encourage conversation, sharing, and community. Bring whatever thoughts, comments, or concerns are on your mind, and of course a libation of your choice. Click on this recurring link to join each month.
NOTE: There will not be a December happy hour.
| | Events are published both in the website calendar and in the monthly e-newsletter. Adding your local event to the calendar is easy. Members can simply log in to the members area of the ALCM website and select "Add an event to the calendar" under "What would you like to do?" Click on the "Post Your Event" button and complete the form. Non-members should send event details to office@alcm.org. | | | |
Your event will appear on the main event calendar, on the main page of the website, and in the e-newsletter for the month in which the event will take place. Good advertising - and it's free to ALCM members!
View the full ALCM calendar.
| |
Making Melody to the Lord
The Works of Robert Buckley Farlee
On June 1 at Christ Church Lutheran in Minneapolis, a hymn festival was held in honor of Bob Farlee's 75th birthday. A variety of items from that festival are available on the Elm Ensemble website, including:
Congratulations, Bob, and thanks to all those who participated in this wonderful event!
| |
|
Hymn Resources
As we move towards Advent, this month's newsletter once again features two hymn tunes: CHESTERFIELD and PUER NOBIS. Both tunes include brass settings by Jean Boehler as well as soloed-out organ settings by Paul Otte. As we did last month, we are also including a choral hymn introduction by Larry Finke.
CHESTERFIELD – Boehler
CHESTERFIELD – Otte harmonization
PUER NOBIS – Boehler
PUER NOBIS – Finke – Choral hymn introduction
PUER NOBIS – Otte harmonization
As part of your regular worship planning, be sure to check your hymn selections against the list of Hymn Settings in the members area of the ALCM website. (See the link under the "Quick Links" heading.) There are hundreds of hymn settings to support congregational singing as well as many free downloadable resources in the members area. If you haven't looked for a while, log in and do some exploring!
Having difficulty logging in to the members area? First check to be sure that you are using the email address that we have on file (the address at which you receive the e-newsletter). Click on the "Forgot your password?" link in the login box and follow the instructions to reset your password. If you still have difficulty logging in, or if you are logged in and cannot access the members area page, send an email to office@alcm.org
and we'll be happy to help.
| | |
Nominate Students for Lutheran Summer Music
You’re invited to nominate a student for LSM 2026! Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is a faith-based residential music academy for high school students (grades 8-12) who come together from all over the country to immerse themselves in musical excellence and build an intentional, supportive, and FUN community. LSM 2026 takes place at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN from June 21-July 19 (Full Session) or June 21-July 3 (Half Session). Priority Enrollment is open now through December 1. Nominate students at LSMacademy.org/nominate, and watch and share this LSM Experience Video to learn more!
| |
Singing with Creation
The Children, Liturgy, Ecology, and Renewal (CLEAR) Project at Villanova University gathers scholars, musicians, church leaders and school leaders to spark important work on children, worship and ecology.
As part of the Project, musicians from different Christian traditions (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, United Church of Christ and Presbyterian) were invited to compose original songs to be used in Christian worship. Composers created these songs to be sung by congregations and to be suitable for children. The lyrics express praise of God the Creator, gratitude for creation, mystery, awe, and lament. The Project brought musicians to Villanova in October 2024 and again in March 2025 so that they could sing, play, pray together, and receive feedback from local congregations and schools that are active in the Project.
Music from The CLEAR Project is available for use free of charge. From links on the main page you can watch the recording, stream the album on Bandcamp, and download the music. Here are instructions.
| | |
Are you getting the most out of your ALCM membership?
Did you know that new member benefits are being added all the time to the members area of the ALCM website? You will want to log in whenever you visit the site to be sure that you have access to everything available to members. Can't remember your login information? In almost every case, your username is your email address. You can change or reset your password by following the "Forgot your password?" link in the login box.
Items in the members area are available for unlimited use as long as your membership remains active. Here are a few items for members only:
-
All issues of CrossAccent (from the very beginning) and In Tempo are available for viewing. Paper and downloadable versions of CrossAccent are also available in the Marketplace;
- Advertise your local events on ALCM's calendar;
- Listen to all ALCM CD recordings for free;
- Hymns, accompaniments, descants, concertatos, and hymn stanza alternations for choir;
- Other free downloadable seasonal and non-seasonal resources;
- Discounted registration fee for ALCM-sponsored webinars and conferences;
-
Past issues of ALCM's original practical resource, Grace Notes, from 1997-2011;
- Discounts on purchases of CDs and other items in the Marketplace; and
- A host of other resources free for viewing and downloading.
If you have any difficulty logging in or if you have questions or comments about the website or your membership, please feel free to contact us by email at office@alcm.org.
| | |
Are you a congregation looking for a musician?
A musician looking for a position?
ALCM can help!
Employment resources have been developed to assist congregations in the process of searching for and hiring a musician. Presented in a step-by-step format, these resources will guide you through the entire employment process.
The ALCM job listing service connects those looking for positions in the field of church music with congregations and other institutions that have openings. By completing an online job posting form, congregations can post their positions on the ALCM website where those looking for employment may view them.
Musicians searching for a job may view posted job openings on the ALCM website, where those looking for positions can view them. Both full-time and part-time positions are listed, and new positions are added as received.
| |
The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
nurtures and equips musicians
to serve and lead the church's song.
| | | | |
