The New LPM

The "New" LPM

Since its inception in 1995, LPM has provided a unique approach to help "undertrained" church musicians, pastors, and worship leaders empower their ministries. The large number of LPM graduates attests to the success of the program.

Recently, the LPM Board has begun to respond to new challenges:

What are mission and goals of LPM as we move beyond our first decade of existence?
What new technologies can we employ to better distribute LPM curriculum to those who need it?
What revisions should be made to the curriculum to reflect on-going changes in the life of the church and to meet ecumenical outreach?
How can the board provide LPM faculty with instruction and opportunity to practice delivery, activity and evaluation strategies?
How can LPM move past financing the program by grants into a sustaining business plan that will better enable us to respond to changing needs?
How can we communicate the need for changes to the LPM business plan and help develop budgets for local and national LPM?
How can we better enable local LPM coordinators to make their local programs more effective in terms of recruitment, advertising, publicity, site management, course sequencing, budget, and other concerns?
How can we involved a younger generation in LPM and share our passion with them?
How can we help develop a network of LPM coordinators and other leaders that helps provide an on-going base of support in addition to that of the LPM Coordinator-Consultant and board?

These questions have no quick and easy answers and will not be resolved overnight. However, significant progress is being made toward meeting these needs. The LPM Board welcomes input from local coordinators, faculty, and others who believe in the mission of LPM. Please address your comments to the LPM Consultant-Coordinator, or any board member.

To date, the LPM Board has responded to these needs as follows:

Updated the mission statement of LPM: “empowering musical leaders in churches to lead worship that is vibrant and participatory.”
By offering LPM coordinator & recertification training to local venues across the country; thus enabling us to discuss recruitment, advertising and publicity, site management, course sequencing and other issues and concerns of local LPM leaders. In 2007, training events were held in southern California, North Carolina, Houston and Chicago. In 2008, training events are being offered in San Francisco and Little Rock. Graduates of the training events are listed on the Coordinator Training Graduates page.
Provide new and updated training materials to graduates of coordinator and recertification trainings as changes are made. These materials will offer specific help to coordinators starting new programs.
Provide LPM opportunities for coordinator training and enrichment opportunities in ways other than the annual summer conference. Many of these opportunities are now being provided in tandem with other organizations' conferences.
Take "LPM on the Road" by making board members and other LPM leaders available to bring LPM-style workshops to local communities. This can "give a taste" of LPM to those areas considering having a regular LPM program in their area. A test workshop of this kind was held in El Campo, Texas in 2005. In September 2008, an "On the Road" workshop will be offered in Minnesota. See Upcoming Events on the homepage.
To involve younger persons, an LPM group was created on Facebook (the online community) to enable many generations to share with each other more easily their passion for church music.
We added a board member under 30, John Weit, to the national board in June 2008 to help bring a younger outlook to the national LPM board.
Make significant revisions to the LPM curriculum to meet ecumenical needs and changing needs of church musicians as well as engaging the best writers available to help in the revision process. In 2007, the Liturgy and Philosophy classes have been completely rewritten. By summer 2008, revisions to the Hymnody will be available. The guitar track of the Leadership of Congregational Song is in the process of updating.
Provide support and on-going regular updates to the curriculum and other teaching materials.
Explore the online delivery of this curriculum. In July 2007 for the first time, LPM coordinators got access access to the curriculum and supplemental materials via the internet and a pass code. The curriculum is now available via the Leader Resources website on a reduced fee basis for currently certified coordinators. See the Leader Resources site for complete details.
Provide instruction and opportunity to practice delivery, activity and evaluation strategies suggested for the faculty of each course. In other words, to provide educational strategies that help local faculty better teach the courses.
Continue developing an evolving business plan for LPM to make it self-sustaining and not reliant on grants that change from year to year; and to assist local LPM programs in budgets and other financial concerns. The Amazon.com link on the homepage is one such effort in this direction.
Continue to help establish a network of LPM coordinators and other leaders to provide an on-going base of support in addition to that from the LPM Coordinator-Consultant and board.
Develop ecumenical ties with as many partner organizations as can mutually benefit from LPM.
Update the LPM website to reflect the changes outlined above.
PowerPoint presentations that help introduce LPM are available from Anna Leppert-Largent, Consultant-Coordinator. They come in two varieties: 1/complete with sound; 2/no sound, but with an accompanying script that can be read.

This work is on-going, and, by its nature, never finished. Keep LPM in your prayers that it may continue to be a relevant, thriving, spirit-filled, educating organization that empowers church musicians to honor God by providing the best musical gifts possible.