Liturgical Ensemble | Jeremy Bakken, Ian Welch and Stacy Jensen

Jeremy Bakken and Ian Welch and Stacy Jensen

Liturgical Ensemble

Learn about the liturgical ensemble repertoire available via Musician’s Resource.

Bio | Jeremy Bakken

Jeremy serves as director of worship and sacred music at Northwestern Publishing House. He is an active church musician, composer, presenter, and clinician. He served on the hymns committee for Christian Worship: Hymnal, which includes four of his original hymn tunes. He holds degrees from Wisconsin Lutheran College (BA in music and mathematics, 2004), University of New Mexico (MM in composition and choral conducting, 2013) and University of Southern California (DMA in choral music, 2022).

Bio | Ian Welch

Ian WelchIan is a graphic designer and a musician living in Milwaukee, Wis. After graduating from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 2010, he decided to continue his education in music and liturgical arts in California. He has served as musician and designer at Risen Savior in Chula Vista, Calif.; worked with the vestment company, Panarotto, in Vicenza, Italy; was a key designer for Christian Worship; and is currently the communications director at Trinity in Waukesha, Wis., where he also accompanies worship and is a member of the adult choir. He also operates the liturgical media company, Paramentics (paramentics.com), which focuses on producing graphics for churches and schools.

Bio | Stacy Jensen

Stacey JensenAfter serving Wisconsin Lutheran College as an adjunct professor for almost two years, Dr. Stacy Jensen received a divine call to join the faculty full time in 2005. She holds a PhD in organizational leadership, and she sees her role as an amazing blessing—to be able to share her passion for the fields of communication and leadership with students. She is a regular vocalist with the liturgical ensemble at Trinity, Waukesha, Wis., where she is a member with her husband and three children.

SATB/SAB | Casey Pufahl

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SATB/SAB

Learn about the latest SATB/SAB repertoire from NPH and a curated selection from other sacred music publishers.

Bio | Casey Pufahl

Casey Pufahl will begin serving in fall 2024 as 7th grade teacher at St. Jacobi Lutheran School, Greenfield, Wis. He served in the fine arts department at Wisconsin Lutheran High School (WLHS) from 2017-2023. Prior to WLHS, Casey served 17 years at St. Croix Lutheran Academy (grades 6-12) in Minneapolis, Minn., in a variety of music, instructional, and administrative roles. Casey received his undergraduate degree from Martin Luther College and his master’s degree from Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn.

Registration form reflects previous presenter.

Seeking . . . Being Shadowed | Paul Burmeister

Paul Burmeister

Seeking One Thing While Being Shadowed by Another

Using a framework of “the sublime and the shabby,” this presentation will explore how we think about things such as excellence and faithfulness, and high and low (in forms and expressions of culture, such as art), and about their possible applications to church-life and faith-life. The presenter will propose that we ought to be careful about the words we use and that we ought to avoid setting up false choices. Drawing upon his experiences and expertise in higher education and as a visual artist and lifelong active WELS member, the presenter will center his ideas in the doctrine of vocation.

Bio | Paul Burmeister

Prof. Burmeister is a published artist and writer. His acrylic paintings are exhibited regionally, and his writing on aspects of Christian vocation is published in a variety of settings. He has 25 years’ experience as a professor and administrator in higher education, and he has worked in the field of graphic design for many years. He has been involved in a number of church design projects connected to WELS and ELS.

2pt-Unison Adult | Levi Nagel

Levi Nagel

2pt-Unison Adult

Learn about the latest adult 2pt-unison repertoire from NPH and a curated selection from other sacred music publishers. Also included will be discussion about and examples of adapting SATB/SAB repertoire for 2pt-unison choirs.

Bio | Levi Nagel

Levi is a full-time staff minister serving in the area of worship for the past 19 years. From 2005–2016 he served at Grace, Falls Church, Va. He currently serves as the minister of music and worship at St. John’s, Milwaukee (Forest Home Ave.). He holds a BA in music from Wisconsin Lutheran College and a Master of Church Music degree from Concordia University Wisconsin. While living in the Washington, D.C., area, Levi sang professionally with several choirs, including the Washington Chorus and the Washington Master Chorale, for the latter of which he was the principal chair for his section. Levi has also been the artistic director of the Lutheran Chorale of Milwaukee since 2018. During the hymnal project, he served on the music subcommittee of the hymns committee, and in 2022, he served as one of the clinicians for the East Regional Choral Festival.

Albrecht Dürer | Carolyn Brinkley

Carolyn Brinkley

Enriching Devotional Life Through Artwork: An In-Depth Study of Albrecht Dürer’s Small Passion Woodcuts

After a brief overview of the artist Albrecht Dürer, this presentation will center on using his Small Passion woodcuts as a devotional aid. The viewer will be drawn into Dürer’s pictorial accounts of Scripture and given insight to see the holy events of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection as if they were happening right in front of their eyes. The focus will be on the suffering of Christ and his promise not only to be with his faithful people in their suffering, but also to bring it to good.

Bio | Carolyn Brinkley

Carolyn is the author of Bearing the Cross: Devotions on Albrecht Dürer’s Small Passion, published by Concordia Publishing House in 2012. She earned her BA at Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, and MA at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, where she is a deaconess serving as the Military Project director. Carolyn is an artist specializing in a mixed media of watercolors and pressed flower art.

The Art of Preaching | Phil Huebner

Phil Huebner

The Art of Preaching

Just as applying law and gospel to someone’s life is an art, so also is the public proclamation of both in a sermon. Sermons come in many different forms and styles: short, long, or really long; deductive or inductive; exegetical, isagogical, and pedagogical components. At the same time, sermons can also be read or memorized, inspirational or boring, rote and redundant, or thoughtful and creative. How does a pastor avoid common pitfalls and continue to keep his preaching styles and forms fresh? This workshop will 1) review some basics of sermon writing and preaching, 2) explore stylistic options a pastor might employ, and 3) equip pastors with tools to assist with continual growth in the art of preaching. While the primary audience of the workshop is pastors, those who listen to preaching will be edified as well.

Bio | Phil Huebner

Rev. Dr. Huebner was assigned from the seminary to start a new mission church in Palm Coast, Fla., where he served for nine years. Since 2016 he has served as the campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. He received a second master’s degree from our seminary in 2016 and a doctorate in ministry in missions and culture in 2019 from Concordia Theological Seminary. His entire ministry to date has seen emphases in outreach, children, teens, and families.

Christian Worship: Foundations | Jon Zabell

Jon Zabell

Putting Christian Worship: Foundations to Work

Commissioned in connection with our hymnal project, Christian Worship: Foundations offers 19 chapters by eight WELS pastors on topics such as music, art, liturgy, creativity, and outreach. Special attention is given to discussing the features of our new hymnal’s orders of service. This workshop will introduce participants to Foundations and offer resources for studying and discussing it in their local settings. In connection with this volume, Prof. James Tiefel writes: “I’ve now read Foundations twice, once quickly and once slowly. I am amazed again and again how excellent this book is! I wish I had owned it before I started teaching at the seminary!”

 

Bio | Jon Zabell

Pastor Zabell chaired the executive committee of the WELS Hymnal Project and served as managing editor for Christian Worship: Foundations. From 2011–2023 he chaired the WELS Commission on Worship. Jon and his wife, Julie, live in Green Bay, Wis., where he serves as pastor at St. Paul and first vice president of the Northern Wisconsin District.

Still Considering or Struggling | Bryan Gerlach

Bryan Gerlach

Still Considering the New Hymnal, or Struggling with Introduction?

This session is for people from congregations that haven’t yet adopted the new hymnal and for those who feel that introduction has not gone so well. It offers an overview of features, shares some interesting back stories on various decisions and hymns, and answers questions raised by attendees.

Bio | Bryan Gerlach

Rev. Gerlach served parishes in Texas and California before becoming WELS’ first director for worship in 1996, the year of the first national worship conference. He has been involved in planning every conference since 1996 as well as with introduction plans and resources for both the 1993 and 2021 hymnals. In addition to seminary training, he holds the Master of Church Music degree from Concordia University Chicago. He regularly plays organ in two Milwaukee-area churches.

CW Psalter | Dale Witte

Dale Witte

Using Christian Worship: Psalter in K-8 Classrooms

Christian Worship: Psalter (NPH 2021) is the first Lutheran psalter to contain multiple musical settings of all 150 psalms along with the complete text of every psalm. It is so much more than just a source for psalm variety in the liturgical worship service. CW Psalter is an invaluable musical and devotional resource to have in every Lutheran elementary school classroom and household. This presentation will explore 17 different ways to use CW Psalter in every grade level, from strengthening thematic units in early childhood, to fostering musical literacy in the middle grades, to finding the Christian’s voice during the tough times of life in the upper grades.

Bio | Dale Witte

Dale currently serves as fine arts department chairman, choir director, and music educator at Winnebago Lutheran Academy, Fond du Lac, Wis. He is one of the founding members of LIME, Lutheran Institute for Music Education, which seeks to aid WELS teachers and schools in strengthening their music education programs. From 2014–2021 he served on the WELS Psalm Committee, which researched, reviewed, and edited over 5,000 psalm settings to produce Christian Worship: Psalter (NPH 2021). Dale holds a Master in Church Music degree from Concordia University Chicago (1997); is a member of WCDA, ACDA, NAfME, ALCM, and WMEA professional organizations; and is an active church music composer.

Professional Growth for Musicians | Daniel Hubert and Dale Witte

Daniel Hubert and Dale Witte

Professional Growth for Church and School Musicians

Many formal options are available to help musicians boost their skills: ALCM, ACDA, AGO, Master of Church Music, Kodaly certification, LIME, Orff, Kodaly, Feierabend First Steps, World Music Drumming, Wisconsin CMP program, and workshops by nationally recognized speakers. But many informal options also exist, such as just a handful of private lessons or coaching sessions to sharpen conducting, keyboard, or vocal skills. This session will discuss the pros and cons of various approaches as well as how to pay for them.

Bio | Daniel Hubert

Prof. Hubert is the director of instrumental music at Wisconsin Lutheran College. In addition to directing the concert band, he teaches courses in music theory, conducting, education, and arranging, and conducts the college’s jazz band and Contemporary & Gospel Ensemble. Previously he served in various music education settings from beginning band to middle school music to high school ensembles. Hubert holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Ill., and is a founding member of the Lutheran Institute for Music Education.

Bio | Dale Witte

Dale WitteDale currently serves as fine arts department chairman, choir director, and music educator at Winnebago Lutheran Academy, Fond du Lac, Wis. He is one of the founding members of LIME, Lutheran Institute for Music Education, which seeks to aid WELS teachers and schools in strengthening their music education programs. From 2014–2021 he served on the WELS Psalm Committee, which researched, reviewed, and edited over 5,000 psalm settings to produce Christian Worship: Psalter (NPH 2021). Dale holds a Master in Church Music degree from Concordia University Chicago (1997); is a member of WCDA, ACDA, NAfME, ALCM, and WMEA professional organizations; and is an active church music composer.