This session is designed to help people investigate what, if anything, they hope will happen in their worship experience, and ask if the liturgy is living up to, or down to, their expectations. It is based on the premise that it is hard to judge how effective a parish liturgy is if you are no longer sure what you're supposed to get from it in the first place. It shows some practical ways to even get members of the early mass to sing and rejoice, while at the same time examines some of the most common reasons why Catholics often don't. This session also helps music ministers come to grips with many of the non-music issues that keep people from making good music. It demonstrates ways that congregations can learn to sing from the heart and not just from the page.
Many choirs suffer under the illusion that their principle role in the liturgy is to sing.
This workshop examines the choir's more critical role in the liturgy. This session is designed to help all of the ministers of the church point in a single direction. It examines reasons why all ministries must have a clear understanding as to just how each one is related to the other, since collectively all are related to Christ. It also tries to make a strong case for ministry days, or special ministerial retreats, in which all of the ministers gather to pray and examine their mission. It examines practical ways that the song leader can tell just when to lead and when to get out of the way of the assembly's song of praise.