Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Plano, Texas

Rejoice, Give Thanks and Sing:

God's Gift of Sacred Music to the Church

11-12 October, 2010

This conference is devoted to teaching practical skills to musicians (full and part-time), pastors, and interested laypeople as they explore ways to apply the rich treasures of Lutheran hymnody and liturgy in the local congregation. Some of the sessions are highly theological, others emphasize practicality, but all are meant to help musicians think critically and theologically about their ministry, and to help pastors appreciate better the role of music in the proclamation of the Word. Practical sessions on handbells, service playing, selecting hymns, as well as some lectures devoted to historical topics, in addition to opportunities for worship and several concerts, are designed to inspire church leaders with ideas they can apply in their home parish as they work to proclaim the Gospel through Word and Sacrament.

Keynote Presenters:

Dr. John Behnke is Professor of Music at Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin where he teaches organ and directs The Alleluia Ringers, Concordia's touring handbell choir.

Dr. Behnke is a frequent organ recitalist, handbell clinician, and festival director. He enjoys composing and arranging having handbell, choral, and organ compositions in print with eleven different publishers in the United States, Germany, and Taiwan.

He was honored in December of 1993 being named "MVP" Most Valuable Player in the Milwaukee area by Milwaukee Sentinel music critic, Nancy Raabe. He has also received an ASCAP Composers Award in 1998 and 1999.

A 1974 graduate of Concordia-River Forest, IL. he received his M. Mus. in Church Music and Organ from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. in 1978. His D. Mus. was awarded to him in 1984 by Northwestern University where he was elected into the Alpha Chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, a National Honorary Music Society. From August 1978 to July 1979 Dr. Behnke studied at the Westphalian Church Music Institute in Herford, W. Germany, where he passed the "A" Exam in Organ with the grade of "1-Excellent".

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rev Stephen Paul Starke, born in 1955 in Bay City, MI, is pastor at St. John Lutheran Church-Amelith in Bay City. He graduated from Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1975 and from Concordia University Chicago in 1977. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1983. He has also served Lutheran parishes in Chicago and Middletown, CT.

From 1996-1997, Pastor Starke served on the Hymn Selection Committee for Hymnal Supplement 98, and from 1998-2006 he served as the Chairman of the Hymnody Committee for the Lutheran Hymnal Project which culminated in the release of Lutheran Service Book in 2006. In 2005, CPH released a book of 122 of his hymn texts entitled, O Sing of Christ. In May of 2010, Pastor Starke received an honorary Doctor of Letters (Litt. D) degree from Concordia University Irvine, in Irvine, California, in recognition of his work in the area of hymnody.

He and his wife Pat, a physical therapist, were married in 1978 and have four children.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Additional presenters include:

Benjamin A Kolodziej, CAGO, MSM, MTS, conference director.
Dr Shelbie Simmons, Director of Music and Fine Arts at Resurrection Lutheran, Plano

Click here for the daily schedule and session titles.

To register online, click here.
To print out a registration form to mail, click here.
To read the press release, click here.

3601 W. 15th Street
Plano, Texas 75075
(972) 867-5588
info@lol-plano.org