September 3, 2009
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. –Want to make your worship service more meaningful and exciting? The African American Music and Worship Explo at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, October 1 – 3, 2009 will bring together pastors, musicians, ministers of music, singers, choirs and worship leaders from across The United Methodist Church to fellowship, network, and learn from each other.
This experience will create excitement over the possibilities of God bringing renewal and vitality to local congregations in order for them to reach people of all ages, especially youth and young adults, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music. Each participant will receive a free copy of “Zion Still Sings! For Every Generation.” This collection contains arranged accompaniments and medleys that can help any church learn the musical styles used in many Black churches today.
“Zion Still Sings!” includes a collection of songs from African American spirituals, Black gospel, traditional hymns, new hymns, and urban rap. It is the first publication to include very contemporary Black church music, but this songbook is not just for the African American church. It contains arranged accompaniments and medleys that can help any church learn the musical styles used in many Black churches today.
Ms. Monya Logan, one of the Explo’s guest speakers, served on the Editorial Committee of “Zion Still Sings! For Every Generation.” Logan has served for twelve years as Minister of Worship and Arts at the St. Luke Community UMC in Dallas, Texas, where there are eleven choirs. She will demonstrate how to use this new music resource to energize worship services.
Rev. Dr. Carl Arrington, the Director of African American Ministries at Lake Junaluska, uplifted the significance of the Explo. “Because Zion Still Sings! is such a comprehensive book, covering all the different kinds of music from the African-American church experience, it will help participants learn about the great music of our church from past to present. People will discover ways to use this great legacy of music to reach out to all ages of people, especially learning how to use the contemporary trends in music to reach our youth and young adults. However, we will also focus on ways to implement change that will help decrease the divisiveness that so often accompanies change. It’s really exciting to have Ms. Logan, who helped create the book, lead us in using this great new resource to bring new life to our churches.”
Speakers at this event include the Rev. Tyron Gordon, a senior pastor of St. Luke Community UMC; the Rev. Dr. Carl Arrington, the Director of African American Ministries at Lake Junaluska; the Rev. Dr. Safiyah Fosua, the Director of Preaching Ministries of the General Board of Discipleship for the United Methodist Church; and Ms. Monya Logan.
Early event registration ends August 31, 2009. Limited scholarships are available. For more information, contact Pam Naplen at 828-454-6656 or visit www.lakejunaluska.com/explo.aspx.