A comprehensive training event designed for anyone involved in worship and music ministry in a local church is coming to North Carolina this fall.
The Renewing Worship Expo, a first-of-its-kind event sponsored by the Worship and Music Ministry of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC), will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15 at Calvary Baptist Church’s West Campus, located in Advance, North Carolina.
The expo is a one-stop-shop of training for worship leaders, choirs, orchestras, musicians, technicians and more. The event will feature specialized training and equipping through a host of breakout session tracks. The tracks are designed for everyone in a church’s worship ministry.
“We are really excited for what this expo will offer the churches in our state,” said Kenny Lamm, who heads the BSC’s worship and music ministry and helped plan and develop the expo.
“While many of our workshops and trainings focus on the foundations of worship and leading worship, the expo has been carefully designed to provide specialized skills training for every aspect of worship ministry all in one place over the course of a weekend.”
Lamm said attendees will receive training from some renowned vocalists, musicians and worship leaders from around the country.
Mike Harland, a Dove Award-winning songwriter and worship leader who serves as director of worship at LifeWay Christian Resources, will provide encouragement to all attendees through times of worship and sharing from the main stage. Harland will also lead a special Friday evening session for worship leaders, as well as a choir retreat scheduled for Saturday.
Others leading training sessions include vocalist Sheri Gould, technician Doug Gould, Dove Award-nominee Richie Kingsmore, composer David Winkler and members of the Calvary Baptist Church worship band.
The expo will also include special retreats for choirs and orchestras on Saturday, which are designed so that a church may bring all of their adult choir or orchestra members for a day of inspiration, fellowship and learning. Attendees in these sessions will also have the opportunity to learn new musical arrangements that can be used in the attendees’ local church.
Breakout session tracks are also available for leaders of preschool, children’s and student choirs, as well as pianists and organists.
On Friday afternoon, there will be choral reading sessions by several major publishers and a master class for vocalists with Sheri Gould. Friday evening will feature classes for each instrument of a worship band, including acoustic, electric and bass guitars, keyboards and drums.
Saturday’s schedule is primarily dedicated to the breakout session tracks after registration and group worship that morning.
Each training track includes three breakout sessions which last an hour and a half each.
Lamm said the event was designed so that even if individuals could only attend Saturday’s portion, they would still receive several hours of quality instruction at an affordable price.
Pricing begins at $30 per person for all sessions on both days. Prices increase to $35 per person after July 31. Registration for the choir or orchestra retreat on Saturday begins at $20 per person with a discounted price of $16 per person for groups of 20 or more. All pricing options include lunch on Saturday.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find comprehensive trainings for everyone involved in a church’s worship and music ministry,” Lamm said. “We’ve worked really hard to create an event that offers quality training at an affordable price.
“It’s also been great to partner with Calvary Baptist Church in this endeavor. They are a gracious host, and their worship team has a passion for encouraging and equipping other churches and their ministries.”
More information about the 2018 Renewing Worship Expo, including a complete schedule, pricing options, speaker bios and links to register, is available at renewingworshipexpo.com.