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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

June 1, 2026 e-newsletter

Welcome to the Green Season!

Maybe you’ve served at a parish where the pastor makes a point to explain to the congregation (perhaps in a children's message) why the paraments are green this time of year. An ELCA blog puts it this way: "Green is used to indicate our growth in faith as we follow the teachings and ministry of Christ." An LCMS webpage adds, "Green is a neutral color, but there is nothing colorless about our need to grow and mature as disciples of Jesus Christ. That's why the 'green meadow' time of the church year is so lengthy."

What are your plans for growth this summer as a musician of the church? I’m sure you already know that our upcoming 40th Anniversary ALCM Conference next month is a special opportunity for professional development, inspiration, and the blessing of in-person fellowship with colleagues. (I can't attend the conference this year and will miss seeing many of you!) Whether or not you’ll be celebrating with ALCM in July, please be sure to make time for rest and renewal this summer! These “green” months are precious, and there is always so much that comes our way during the festival half of the church year, from Advent through Pentecost.

May these summer months be a time of refreshment and discovery. And may God continue to bless you as together, in this season of growth, we equip musicians to serve and lead the church's song for the sake of Christ.

Kyle Haugen

Member of ALCM Board of Directors

Space is filling up - register now!

It's almost time for the St. Olaf conference, so if you have not already done so, be sure to register as soon as possible. Those of you who have already registered should be receiving a number of informational emails. Address questions to Adam Hughes at education@alcm.org.

St. Matthew Passion Tickets

Get your ticket to attend a performance of J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 7:00pm. An event of ALCM's 2026 Conference at St. Olaf, this concert is free and open to the public, but tickets are required to reserve your seat. Tickets may be reserved on LSM's website. NOTE: Registered conference attendees are AUTOMATICALLY issued a ticket and do NOT need to reserve one.

40th Anniversary Conference Sponsorship Opportunities

There is still time to contribute to ALCM and support our 40th anniversry conference at St. Olaf. Gifts are welcome to support the conference, and all donations received by June 1 will be listed in the conference book. Donations may be made at the ALCM website.

Save the date!

Presenters include Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor, keynote; Marin Jacobson, Tuesday choral; Choral Evening Prayer with Kantorei from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Kevin Hildebrand, conductor; hymn festival with Daniel Schwandt.

Workshops; choral reading sessions; publisher exhibits.

Registration information available mid-July.

Have you cast your ballot?

Today is the last day to vote for ALCM officers.

Please review the bios and vision statements of the candidates.

Then vote for candidates for these positions. Ballots must be received by today, June 1 to be counted.

Please note: Each ALCM member may vote once. If you share an email address with another ALCM member, you are both eligible to cast one vote.

ALCM Board Meeting Highlights

The ALCM Board of Directors met via Zoom on Monday, May 18, 2026. Highlights of the meeting include:

• The July conference at St. Olaf is on track for a great conference in our 40^th anniversary year, with an excellent registration anticipated
• Approval of the budget for the 2027 Biennial Conference in St. Louis
• The gifts and pledges to the “40^th Anniversary: Now and Forever” campaign have surpassed $512,000
• The Scholarship Committee has awarded 7 scholarships for students or recent graduates to attend the St. Olaf conference, and anticipates awarding grants in the fall of 2026 and many scholarships for the 2027 conference
• Affirming the beginning of a joint Service Playing Certificate with the American Guild of Organists

The Board has also been engaged in a strategic planning process, which began in December 2025. Work is progressing well, as the Board meets every other month with a consultant who is guiding the process. We look forward to sharing information in the coming months.

AGO and ALCM Dual Certification

We are excited to announce the inaugural year of a new joint certification opportunity between the American Guild of Organists and the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. Members of both organizations may apply for the joint Service Playing Certificate (SPC) through this collaborative program. The Service Playing Certificate (SPC) is a comprehensive, performance-based examination designed to assess organ skills in a worship setting. It includes psalm, anthem, and vocal solo accompaniment; hymn playing and transposition; sight reading; improvisation; and repertoire performance. The exam is administered in a live setting with a proctor and recording engineer present and is designed to simulate the demands of professional worship service playing. Candidates will pay the standard application rate, and at least one examiner will be a member of ALCM in good standing. Both organizations will formally recognize the resulting certificate. The application process for the 2027 service playing certificate will open in July.

Additional information will be available in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, we invite all ALCM members to fill out this brief one-question survey to let us know whether you:

• Might be interested in participating in the certification process
• Have no interest in the certification process
• Already have the AGO Service Playing Certificate

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer grader for ALCM service playing tests, please contact jimrindelaub@alcm.org with Service Playing Grader in the subject line. ALCM service playing graders must be members of both ALCM and AGO.

Call for 2027 Conference Workshop Proposals

ALCM is calling for workshop proposals for the worship and music conference to be held in St. Louis, June 28-July 2, 2027. To submit your proposal complete this form by August 1, 2026. Workshop proposals accepted by the committee for the 2027 conference will be notified by mid-fall, 2026. Submitting a proposal does not guarantee a workshop spot although proposals will also be considered for ALCM’s seasonal webinar series and future conferences. 

ALCM at 40 - Reflections from

In Tempo editor Meghan Benson

Mount Calvary Academy of Music is excited for:  

Music of the Church with Inaugural Instructor Dr. David Cherwien! 

Private lessons with David Cherwien 

in the Minneapolis/St Paul area offered Summer 2026

Private lessons offer one-on-one learning to mentor student skill in your choice of focus areas in sacred music. Inaugural options are taught by instructor Dr. David Cherwien in private lessons with curriculum specific to each purpose. Choose your option for Lesson Purpose with systematic learning! Lesson Purposes include: 

1.      Congregational Song – for experienced organists 

2.      Improvisation – for experienced organists 

3.      Basic Organ Lessons  

4.      Composing/Arranging for the church 

NOW ENROLLING SUMMER TERM June, July and August! Flexible number of lessons on dates arranged directly with David Cherwien

Enrollment is accepted by term. Fall Term lessons will also be offered. Enrollment is always open for an available spot in Dr. Cherwien’s studio, including mid-term for remaining lessons in that term.

Read more about David Cherwien and Music of the Church.

Music of the Church is only one of the many programs offered by the Academy at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Excelsior, MN. Read more about this extensive arts program at www.mcaom.org.

CrossAccent Wins Prestigeous Award

Congratulations to CrossAccent designer Kathryn Brewer and editor Clayton Faulkner for receiving third-place in the Associated Church Press "Best-of-the-Press" awards for Journals Best-in-Class. The Best-in-Class award category looks at the journal as a whole, including design, writing, scope, technical production, etc. The second place winner was the Concordia Seminary Magazine, and first place went to Yale University's Reflections Journal. ALCM is proud of Kathryn and Clayton's work in communicating the ALCM mission and applauds them for this exceptional achievement!

2027 Raabe Prize

Applications are being accepted for the 2027 Raabe Prize for Excellence in Sacred Composition. The Raabe Prize is established to recognize a recent musical work that promotes and extends the practice of church music as it is informed and shaped by Lutheran theological insight and worship practices. The composition so recognized will have been written during the five-year period prior to the year in which the prize is awarded and should be representative of a larger body of work by the composer. Preference will be given to those compositions that grow out of the heart of Lutheran worship – the song of the assembly that enables all to lift their voices in prayer, praise, and proclamation as they gather around Word and Sacrament.

Submissions for the 2027 award must be received by October 1, 2026.

2027 Raabe Prize Description & Guidelines

Get Ready for LSM 2026!

Lutheran Summer Music returns to St. Olaf College for its 2026 season, June 21–July 19, featuring more than 40 free concerts, recitals, worship services, and special events free and open to the public.

Highlights include the inaugural LSM Choral Gathering, guest performance by Cantus, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, the Bach Cantata Eucharist, and Festival Week concerts featuring LSM’s Festival Band, Choir, and Orchestra. Most events will also be available online via Live from LSM.

View the season brochure, explore events, and reserve free tickets at

LSMacademy.org/2026season.

Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM

Friday, June 26 - 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 is 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.

Kyries & Glorias

Kyries (prayer concerns) and Glorias (thanksgivings) as well as In memoria are posted on the ALCM website.

Kyrie

John Kiltinen

Mark & Kathy Helge

Jenny Hobby

Lois Rimbo

Gloria

Karen Black
Music Ministry at at Zion Lutheran Church in Dallas

In memoriam

Doris Rotermund

Walter L. Pelz*

ALCM members are invited to submit Kyries and Glorias following the link in the members area of the website. Non-members may contact the ALCM office at office@alcm.org with information for posting.

* indicates a Founding Member

Hymn Resources

The highlighted tune for June is LASSET UNS MIT JESU ZIEHEN ("Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus"). Settings for this tune include a part for B-flat trumpet written by Jean Boehler as well as a soloed-out organ setting by Paul Otte.

LASSET UNS MIT JESU ZIEHEN – Boehler

LASSET UNS MIT JESU ZIEHEN – 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.

Do you have practical thoughts, suggestions, or resources that could help your fellow ALCM musicians? In Tempo is looking for articles for upcoming issues! The deadline to contribute to the next issue is July 15th. Questions and submissions may be directed to In Tempo editor Meghan Benson at intempo@alcm.org.  

Share Your Psalm Refrains

As part of a larger project to develop psalm resources for members, a page for psalm refrains has been created and is accessible in the members area of the website. Refrains are listed by psalm number and verse and contain an accompaniment, a graphic for insertion in a service folder, suggested psalm tone(s), and other supporting materials (instrumental parts, descants, etc.). There are only a handfull of refrains right now, but we invite you to help the number grow by sharing your psalm refrains with other ALCM members. Be sure to review these guidelines before submitting your psalm files.

Please address any questions, suggestions, or corrections to Cheryl Dieter at office@alcm.org.

The 2026 Richard Hillert Award in Student Composition

The Center for Church Music, in partnership with the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, wishes to honor the legacy of Concordia University Chicago distinguished professor of music Dr. Richard Hillert. His legacy includes not only his many liturgical pieces and musical works, but also his many gifts for teaching composition. The Richard Hillert Award in Student Composition is awarded every other year to a current student at a Lutheran university or seminary. (Recent grads--since May 2024--may also apply.)

The cash prize of $1000 will be awarded at the 2027 ALCM conference in St. Louis, which may also include a performance of the work as a part of its program. The Center will also donate $500 toward the winning composer’s travel to the conference. Submissions for the 2026 award must be received by June 1, 2026.

View additional information and submission requirements.

Kampen Gets International Organ Academy

The Kampen International Organ Academy Foundation in The Netherlands was established in May 2026 to educate (semi)professional organists and conservatory students in the art of organ playing, particularly in the organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach, and in concert and liturgical improvisation.

An organ festival will be held annually in the autumn, focusing on a specific annual theme.

This year’s festival takes place from October 19-23, 2026. During the day, there are masterclasses and lectures. In the evenings, there are organ recitals given by the teachers. The week concludes with an organ concert by the active participants, where an organist is nominated from each discipline. For additional information, go to www.kampen-int-organacademy.eu.

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.