The LPM National Board and Northwest Minnesota LPM have been awarded a 2009-2010 Calvin Grant.  The Worship Renewal Grants Program fosters well-grounded worship renewal in congregations and worshiping communities throughout North America. Made possible through the generous support of Lilly Endowment Inc., these grants serve to stimulate thoughtful and energetic work for worship that exhibits renewed creativity, theological integrity, and relevance.  For complete information about the grant program, please see Worship Renewal Grants Program. LPM was previously awarded a Calvin Grant for 2006-2007.

The board will develop a concise model for Starting a Local LPM Program and will refine the model through collaboration with the local planning committee of northwest Minnesota-Dakotas whose local program will begin in September 2009. The benefit would be two-fold: 1/local churches who send participants to this 10-session program will immediately benefit from the training and experiences and 2/The National LPM Board will take the experience and feedback to develop the model and materials that would support other regions where LPM would benefit ecumenical groups in targeted locations of need throughout the United States.

Local congregations increasingly have difficulty in finding qualified musicians who can lead worship with skill, joy and dedication. LPM seeks to address this concern by offering local LPM programs that empower church musicians and worship leaders, and, through them, empower the worship of local congregations.

There is an ever-growing need for those who lead worship, particularly musicians, to improve their skills. LPM targets worship leaders serving smaller churches which often do not have the financial resources to send their leaders for further training. By offering  sessions at local centers, the musicians receive regular guidance and support as well as the opportunity for fellowship and spiritual growth. The LPM courses are taught by local professionals who use the LPM Curriculum under the guidance of a certified local LPM coordinator who has been trained by the National LPM Board.

The National LPM Board often hear about the “burn-out” musicians and worship leaders experience and their need for attaining additional skills, resources and peer support. LPM builds community that continues to nourish graduates in their vocation long past their training.

The project is set up to have regular monthly and three on-site evaluations involving the National LPM Board and local LPM program leaders. Rather than waiting until the end of the project for evaluation, assessment will be continuous throughout the project so as to respond quickly with appropriate alternatives as needed.

We will know that we have met our goal from when the first session of the northwest Minnesota’s local LPM program takes place; when the student participants come from different denominations; when local and area churches, dioceses, synods and presbyteries recognize, support, and encourage participation from their worship leaders; and when demand for the second year of classes is strong. Feedback from pastors and other local congregational leaders who see the impact of LPM on their musicians and worship leaders who then transmit their enthusiasm, knowledge and passion to the congregation is another strong yardstick of success.

Throughout the project, we will keep you informed of its progress with regular updates on this page.

May 2009
Ellen Johnston, project director, John Marsh and Jennifer Baker-Trinity have begun regular conference calls to assist Jennifer and her local board as they make plans for the local LPM program to get going in the fall.  More information about their program can be found on this website homepage under "Upcoming LPM Events."

June 2009
Work continues between the LPM National Board and the local northwest LPM board to prepare for the start of LPM classes in September.  In late June, Ellen Johnston and John Marsh attended the Calvin Grant Colloquium at Calvin College.  The colloquium helps project directors throughout the country network with each other and help provide them with tools for successful projects.

July 2009
Ellen Johnston and John Marsh are continuing regular conference calls with Jennifer Baker-Trinity in preparation for starting their program.

August 2009
Ellen Johnston, Jennifer Baker-Trinity and John Marsh have had two conference calls to answer questions that the local Minnesota LPM board have raised.  It looks like they have 6-8 person participating in the fall.  Jennifer is doing a terrific job as local chair and coordinating work between their local board and the LPM National Board.

October 2009
Ellen Johnston and John Marsh met with the Northwest Minnesota-Dakotas LPM Board to offer support and encouragement.  Their local program began in September and is off to a great start.  Congratulations for outstanding work.  Experiences launching this local program will help the LPM National Board establish other local programs.

November 2009
Getting LPM Started in NW Minnesota/Dakotas
Note: Below is a description of the process that Jennifer Baker-Trinity and the NW Minnesota LPM program went through to get their local program up and running. The LPM National Board has been working with them as a part of this Calvin grant. If you have questions, please contact Jennifer (you can do so through Facebook), Ellen Johnston or John Marsh. It's often helpful to use the experience of others who have already started a local LPM program.

Dear John and Ellen:

As you requested, below is a summary of how I went about getting LPM off the ground here in this area. I hope this can be helpful for others and for the board. If you have a question about something more specific, I’m happy to help as I’m able.

2007: In the summer of 2007, I was invited by LPM to see about getting an LPM On-the Road-workshop off the ground in this area. I was fortunate to make a contact through CHARIS, and ecumenical continuing education organization formerly housed at Concordia College in Moorhead. I had a face to face meeting with the director and he was very interested in the possibility.

Through Valerie Hess, I was connected with Peggy Johnson. Since Peggy taught LPM while she worked in Colorado, she was very interested in working with me on getting the On-the-road workshop going.

Between the Fall of 2007 and the Spring of 2008, Peggy, Arland Jacobson (the Director of Charis) and I met regularly. We followed the very helpful information supplied by LPM regarding the On the Road Workshop. The timeline was especially helpful. As a team , we issued invitations to Peggy, Scott Weidler and Jay Beech to be our clinicians.

2008: In the Spring of 2008 I promoted the workshop at the NW Minnesota synod assembly. We had very eye-catching postcards printed by Charis.

CHARIS handled the registration process and helped with mailing. The administrative assistant was invaluable. I highly recommend that when LPM wants to get started, they make connections with a synodical, diocesan or ecumenical organization that is willing to assist with mailings and other tasks.

The On-the-Road Workshop was held in Moorhead- centrally located and a very attractive venue. We had 35 attendees, which was quite successful for a Charis-sponsored event. We made sure Evaluations were a part of this event and most were very positive.

At this event, an attendee asked me point blank if we could start LPM in the area. I took that as a mandate and call to proceed.

Peggy and I worked together to assemble a board of pastors and musicians. I made some invitations and in the winter of 2008, we had a group of folks ready and willing to make LPM a reality. Most were not familiar with LPM, but were eager to learn. I intentionally invited a mix of pastors and musicians.

2009: Our first official LPM Board meeting was held in February 2009. With me, two others would remain on the committee. Two of our present members had yet to be invited and another member had to withdraw from the original committee for personal reasons.

At this meeting, we discussed why this program is so needed in this area and how it could benefit pastors and musicians. We brainstormed about budget, how many sessions and how to contact those that attended the On the Road Workshop in 2008.

We continued to meet bi-monthly. Of course, one of the most important tasks was getting the word out. I received a list of Judicatories from the CHARIS center and the board divided up phone call/mailing responsibilities. It was from these initial contacts that LPM was put on the radar screens of synods and dioceses.

In the Spring of 2009, Linda Toso and I advocated for LPM at the NW Minn synod assembly. Unfortunately, our display was in a low-traffic area, but a few contacts did make a difference. Linda was also very instrumental in recruiting participants for the program in the congregation where she served as musician and where her husband served as pastor. Linda and I also talked up LPM at our synod worship commission meetings.

Our brochure was printed in June of 2009 and we mailed it to Conference Deans and synod and diocesan offices. The Eastern North Dakota synod put information on their website in a very attractive, helpful manner. We also received a generous gift from the North Dakota Diocese (Episcopal).

In July and August, Registrations began. The grant from Calvin played a huge role in this, as we were able to give a generous scholarship to every participant.

Our board continues to meet regularly and has divided tasks in a helpful way. This has made working together very enjoyable.

January 2010
Jennifer Baker-Trinity send this report on a recent LPM presentation in her area.

I wanted to share with you about an event that I participated in this past Saturday in Climax, MN. The Eastern North Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Northwestern Minnesota Synod co-sponsored an event focused on cultivating vitality in multi-point parishes. The event included worship, presentations, panel discussions and round table groups. The sessions explored how to be missional congregations, with a particular focus on working together in multi-point situations. We realized the opportunities in such arrangements if churches were open to new possibilities and vision.

The synods allowed me time to present a brief power point presentation and talk in detail about our LPM program here in the NW Minnesota and the Dakotas. I also demonstrated how one could teach a new piece of music using the voice without keyboard accompaniment.

It was an enjoyable day and I hope a few people (about 50-60 people, pastors and lay leaders attended) came away with at least knowledge about what LPM is about. I'm writing a follow-up article for the synod website.

As you have opportunity, share the word about LPM with pastors and musicians you meet. I'm finding that personal contact and witness has the most impact. Here's a link to the NW MN synod website and the LPM info.

February 2010
Ellen Johnston reported on her trip to see the LPM NW MN-Dakotas in action.

I visited the LPM program in the Northwest Minnesota-Dakotas area this past weekend. What a great group of students and teachers. Good job--Jennifer, Linda, Peggy, and Tom!

May 2010
Jennifer Baker-Trinity made an in-person report to the LPM National Board at our May meeting.  The Northwest Minnesota-Dakotas program has been a wonderful addition to our local programs.  John Marsh will attend their last session for this year in June in Grand Forks, ND.

June 2010
John Marsh represented the LPM National Board at the NW MN-Dakotas LPM final session on Saturday, June 5, to see their program in action.  This local board has done an outstanding job getting their program up and running.  After summer hiatus, they begin again in September.

John Weit and Jennifer Baker-Trinity represented LPM at the Calvin Grants Colloquium at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, in late June for the conclusion of our grant year.  We have learned different skills, acquired new models for starting programs, and developed additional materials to share as other local LPM programs share the program.  Thanks again to Jennifer Baker-Trinity and her team for an exemplary job and sharing all they have learned this past year.

This program is made possible through a Worship Renewal Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc.