Many churches who use CMP solo, praise team, and congregational music materials also have choirs. This workshop would serve as both tour guide and catalyst to grow this small section of CMP holdings to meet the needs of such churches.

Part 1) Touring CMP choral works: The first part of our workshop would “tour” and discuss scores and recordings of a few choral holdings currently in the CMP store. Many of these began as solo pieces on Ken’s facebook concerts during the pandemic. The goal here is to show topically what choral music is available and to highlight the accessible nature of these choral pieces, even for choirs with only basic skills. We want to help them imagine the role their choirs could play in musical offerings that touch on the same topics that their praise teams and congregations address through song.

Part 2) Explore solo pieces or congregational choruses or hymns on CMP that might be good candidates for arranging as choral pieces. We have ways to make that happen. Straightforward, highly accessible arrangements that grow from the suggestions of those in attendance and from collaboration during the workshop session can expand CMP holdings, with the goal of offering a new way for worship leaders whose churches have choirs to engage those musicians. We note that CMP membership does not cover creating choral arrangements from existing solo or congregational offerings. This would be a separate billing to participants whose churches wish to explore this opportunity. They can reach out to either one of us by email to create the outlines of a choral project.

The Great Nashville Co-write (Collaborative Songwriting)

Leader: Andra Moran

Andra Moran has been a working songwriter in Nashville for 30 years, and has cowritten in a variety of genres with hundreds of writers. Her songs appear on albums, in denominational hymnals and songbook collections and are regularly sung in congregations across the country. In this workshop, participants will learn the basic principles of musical co-writing, and will co-write a new song from scratch as a group with Andra in our timetogether. At the end of this workshop, participants will have something new to take home and sing!

The History and Present Reality of the Black Sacred Music Tradition

Leader: Bryan Johnson

This workshop explores the rich history, cultural significance, and continuing influence of the Black Sacred Music Tradition. Participants by singing, will journey from the spirituals and work songs of enslaved Africans and African Americans through the development of gospel, hymnody, spirituals, sacred choral music, and contemporary expressions of Black sacred music. The workshop will examine how Black sacred music and its practices has played a major role in the life of Trinity United Church of Christ and its online viewing audience.

Hold My Hope

Leader: Ana Hernandez

In this workshop we'll run barefoot through Ana’s new collection of short songs for worship, meditation, and prayer. We'll sing a wide variety of musical styles: simple melodies, rounds, call-and-response tunes, echo songs, canons, zipper songs (fill-in-the-blank songs), and mashups. Collaboration, participation, and improvisation will deepen our connections with God, each other, and the world around us. Absolutely everybody welcome!

Ana Hernández is a composer, workshop facilitator, activist song leader,and the author of The Sacred Art of Chant: Preparing to Practice. She collaborates with groups small and large to encourage deeper community and create beautiful liturgies in many different styles. Ana’s tunes aim to bring each of us to a sustainable place where we can remember our belovedness, listen generatively, and build something better together.

How to Create Worship Experiences That Speak Into These Times

Leader: Gary & Lenora Rand of The Many

Join Gary and Lenora Rand of The Many for a 2 part workshop to help you craft words and music to breathe new life into worship. If you’ve ever wondered how you could craft worship experiences for times like we’re living in now, this workshop is for you. Together, the Rands will share ideas on bringing creativity, honesty and relevance into the worship you create.

Part 1 will be led by Lenora Rand and will focus on crafting new calls to worship, confessions, laments, prayers and rituals. Bring whatever you need to do writing with you. Part 2 will be led by Gary Rand, and will focus on singing together and the role of music in engaging worship experiences. We’ll learn new songs from a diversity of resources, including some gems from The Many archive. Note: You can sign up for one or both parts of this workshop.

Jim Wallis Wants to Give You a Million Dollars

Leader: Jim Wallis

Jim Wallis’ team told us to come up with a title that would make people attend his workshop, so we did.* It is unclear whether Jim will give you a million dollars if you attend this workshop, but we’re betting he would if it were possible to do so. Come spend this workshop with Jim Wallis, the dynamic founder of Sojourners, activist, public theologian, author and all around generous guy! You’ll be glad you did! (*blame Andra)

Kinshift Music Production

Leaders: Monty Jackson

Discover why a professional studio workflow—from hiring session musicians to expert arranging, mixing, and mastering—remains the fastest, most reliable path to high-quality, radio-ready tracks. In this workshop, you'll learn how to elevate raw ideas into powerhouse tracks that command attention, hit strict streaming standards, and cut through today's crowded noise.
Topics:
• Why Does Recording Music at Home Often Sound Amateurish, & Why Professional Production Matters
• Why Music Is Stronger When Built with a Team
• Turn Studio Expenses into High-Return Investments
• Flexible Financial Solutions for Independent Creators

New Songs for Justice, Lament and Praise

Leaders: Mark Miller

Now more than ever, worship needs to make space for people to sing their confession & lament, cries of protest & justice, and joyful praise. Come sing and hear the stories behind the new music Mark has been writing for congregations and choirs in the 2024-2026. Some copies of Mark’s new music will be made available for purchase!

Off the Cuff with Otis Moss

Leader: Otis Moss and Bryan Johnson

Explore a theology of liberation in this off-the-cuff session with Rev. Dr. Moss, a third generation civil rights activist, theologian and author, and pastor of Trinity UCC in Chicago. Rev. Dr. Moss will share about this interest in art, particularly jazz music and film, and his passion for justice and theology.

Old Tunes, New Lyrics

Leader: Ken Medema

In this session, Ken will help participants write new lyrics to familiar hymn tunes which tell stories about the life of their very own church. These lyrics could describe events in the history of the church, could celebrate particular people whose lives are remembered in church culture, and/or could be used to initiate a new chapter in church life. We will actually take situations that participants bring up and in the group create these new texts as well as discussing ways to bring a hymn-writing group together in local congregations. The new lyrics will be transcribed and shared with the participants.

Polyrhythmic Worship

Leader: Cynthia Wilson

When forms and styles of musical genres are intentionally practiced in a variety of ways; when corporate song is experienced in different ways / languages, we might raise these questions: Was there an encounter with the Holy God? Was there a reminder of our obligation to act and care about those people and things that the Grace-giver cares about? Did we encounter Jesus in his risen power?

Singing the Psalms in the 21st Century

Leader: Richard Bruxvoort Colligan

The ancient songs of the Psalms invite us to live passionately whether we’re in joy, despair, or facing the unknown. Psalm scholar and songwriter Richard Bruxvoort Colligan will awaken your awareness of the psalms in new ways. His new book, Dangerous Songs, is brilliant! Come to learn and to sing!

Songs for Reimagining Holy Communion

Leader: Christopher Grundy

Songs are often the carriers of change. Songwriter and liturgical scholar Christopher Grundy has been writing new songs to help congregations like yours consider some new-ancient possibilities for Holy Communion. What if the upper room story isn’t the only meal story we use? What if the focus of the meal is beloved community sometimes? Or footwashing? Or persistence in the face of violence? Spend an hour singing some brand- new songs and learn how they can help us to re-imagine Holy Communion. Take home some songs for your faith community, and maybe some new ways of thinking about the sacrament.

The Songs We Sing Matter When We Experience Moral Injury

Leader: Joyce Wealand

This workshop will look at how our choice of music in worship can offer space for healing for those experiencing moral injury or how it can, unintentionally, perpetuate the harm. The workshop will offer a brief description of moral injury and how our current culture may be inflicting moral injury in ways we may not understand or acknowledge. It will then look at traditional hymns, new music with CMP examples, and some secular music, and speak to how these can support a healing space for our worship participants.

Soul Restoration Through Improv (A Listening Experience)

Leader: Ken Medema and Nathan Holst

If your brain feels really busy and busy from all the new content you’re taking in here at CMP Converging, come rest and be restored through an improv session with masterful musicians Ken Medema on Piano and Nathan Holst on violin. Sit back and enjoy listening to these two stretch out musically. It’s a treat for the soul!

We Want to Hear Your Song

Leader: Bryan Sirchio and Lindy Thompson

This workshop is an opportunity to share a song of yours and to get immediate feedback from CMP Lead Designer Bryan Sirchio and widely published lyricist Lindy Thompson. Bryan and Lindy will be listening to your song from a "CMP perspective," and offering loving, constructive feedback as if the song was being submitted for consideration on the CMP website.

**If possible, let Bryan know you will be sharing a song during this workshop before the conference (by Oct. 1st would be great) so we will know how many times we need to offer this workshop.**

Simply email Bryan at bryan@convergencemp.com to let him know. Yes, you are also welcome to make this decision at the event itself. You may play and sing the song live on piano or guitar, or bring a recording of it on your phone. If you write lyrics only then by all means share them with us. Don't worry about the quality of performance. We're listening to the song itself. The atmosphere will be warm and encouraging and positive, while also being honest.

Worship and Our Spiritual Needs - a Theology of Worship

Leader: Jim Cotter

Jim Cotter presents group study material focusing on our Three Spiritual Needs: to be loved, to be known, and to be part of something greater than ourselves. The study focuses on worship as a way to practice and grow in faith. Jim is a United Methodist pastor from Wisconsin.

The Zen Den

Self-guided

Need a bit of quiet recharging time? Would your inner introvert like to catch their breath? The Zen Den is a quiet room to get away from having to talk to other people. So, if you choose this as your workshop option, um… don’t talk to anyone in the room. (Shh!) :)

Workshops

Session A

3:30 to 4:20pm Jump to: THURS OCT 8 SCHEDULE FRI OCT 9 SCHEDULE

Session B

4:30 to 5:20pm Jump to: THURS OCT 8 SCHEDULE FRI OCT 9 SCHEDULE

Thursday Workshops, Session A (3:30-4:20pm)

Thursday Workshops, Session B (4:30-5:20pm)

Friday Workshops, Session A (3:30-4:20pm)

Friday Workshops, Session B (4:30-5:20pm)

CMP for Choir

​The Great Nashville Co-write (Collaborative Songwriting)