This masterclass is designed for vocalists on worship teams, in choirs, or anyone who simply loves to sing and wants to improve their craft. During our time together, we will cover technical elements, such as vocal technique, vocal health, and blending, while also addressing heart matters, navigating pitfalls like pride, comparison, and bitterness. The goal for someone in this masterclass is to grow his or her God-given gifts and remember that singing’s primary purpose is to point others to our Saviour.
Whether you’re a solo keyboardist or part of a band, whether you play by ear or only read notes, this class will help you serve your church more effectively as a piano player. The class will be interactive, and much of the material will be taken from Bob’s book, Worship Piano.
Technology is used weekly in our local gatherings and it has the ability to be a help but it can also be a hindrance or a distraction. This masterclass will be a practical deep dive into the 4 mixing essentials used to bring greater clarity, consistency and excellence to how your team serves the gathered body. We will outline practical ways to build unity between tech teams and musician teams, and will talk through setting gospel centered priorities when budgeting and planning for tech purchases. This master class will focus on practical solutions for small churches with time for Q&A throughout.
Technology is used weekly in our local gatherings and it has the ability to be a help but it can also be a hindrance or a distraction. This masterclass will be a practical deep dive into the 4 mixing essentials used to bring greater clarity, consistency and excellence to how your team serves the gathered body. We will outline practical ways to build unity between tech teams and musician teams, and will talk through setting gospel centered priorities when budgeting and planning for tech purchases. This master class will focus on practical solutions for large churches with time for Q&A throughout.
For more than 20 years, David Zimmer has worked as a professional studio and touring drummer, serving in hundreds of churches across many different stylistic settings. In this masterclass, he will teach drummers how to play with creativity, skill, and musical sensitivity so that their drumming serves the song and supports the congregation. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, you’ll learn the fundamentals of playing with undistracting excellence in your local church.
This bass masterclass is designed for church musicians who want to support congregational singing and strengthen the band—supporting the lyric, locking in with the drummer, and giving the ensemble a clear, steady foundation. We’ll cover essential techniques (muting, tone, articulation, dynamics, fretboard fluency, and endurance) and apply them to real-world contexts: grooves, transitions, builds, and knowing when to simplify or add motion. You’ll learn practical approaches to common progressions, chart/number-system navigation, and in-the-moment choices that help the room sing with confidence. We’ll also discuss part arrangement and communication—creating space for vocals and other instruments and working with your sound engineer for a supportive, consistent mix.
David and Ryan have played on multiple albums together, including many of the Sovereign Grace albums from the past fifteen years. In this intensive, you’ll learn how to apply practical tools for each instrument and explore how they can serve the song by filling in spaces and working with the rest of the band. We will also look at how the drum and bass can build momentum, support the lyrics, and provide space in a song from beginning to end. Selected songs from the conference and past Sovereign Grace albums will be referenced and arranged.
Long term ministry can be challenging for different reasons. Diminishing strength and health can be magnified by disappointment, unfulfilled expectations, opposition, difficult relationships, unresponsive church members, and more. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this breakout, Bob will draw from Scripture and fifty years of ministry to explore principles and practices that will contribute to years of fruitful labor for God’s glory.
How do we think about what and how we play in congregational worship? What are the benefits and drawbacks to simply playing what’s on the recording? How creative should we be? In whatever role you serve musically in your church, this interactive breakout will help you take practical steps to serve your church more intentionally and skillfully.
Whether you’re a pastor, worship leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, songwriter, or tech team member, the heart of all we do is to make much of Jesus Christ and the glorious gospel. In this breakout three seasoned pastors will talk about ways they have deepened and strengthened their love for Christ in the midst of ministry responsibilities, as well how they’ve fought potential pitfalls and temptations.
Jonathan and Sarah Jerez, along with Fabrizio Rodulfo, who leads Gracia Soberana Música, have spent numerous years serving churches of different languages and cultures. Their experience has taught them not only what’s most important in our gatherings, but also how to cultivate a culture of humility that reflects the unity we now have in Christ. If you’re part of a congregation with different languages, backgrounds, or cultures, you’ll benefit from this discussion on how we can maximize the opportunities our diverse world provides for strengthening the church.
Whether we’re leading on Sunday mornings or singing as part of the congregation, there are a hundred ways things can go wrong. What can we do both as leaders and participants to ensure that when the church gathers to sing, God’s Word is fueling and governing what we do, the Spirit is actively at work, Jesus is being glorified, and the church is being built up? In this biblical and practical breakout, we’ll take aim at the enemies of congregational singing in the church.
Confusion, misunderstanding, abuses, and neglect abound when it comes to the work of the Holy Spirit in our gatherings. How do we cultivate an eager expectation of the Spirit’s activity while still holding firmly to the authority and sufficiency of God‘s Word? In this breakout, Jared Mellinger, a seasoned Sovereign Grace pastor, will challenge us to pursue both passionately.
In this breakout, we’ll be getting into the nitty-gritty of songwriting for the church as we review songs that have been submitted by attendees. To submit your song, email an MP3 and the lyrics to this form. You’ll be notified in advance if your song is going to be reviewed.
Those involved in children’s ministry know all too well how difficult and challenging it can be. Colin Buchanan has spent decades leading, teaching, and writing songs for kids and is known throughout Australia for his hilarious yet thoughtful approach that introduces kids to profound truths and roots them in the gospel and God’s Word. In his breakout, Colin will present a portion of what he would typically do with kids and then break it down to help us better understand the why behind the what.
