Celebrating Grace Hymnal Premiere

You are Invited to the
Celebrating Grace Hymnal Premiere

Monday, March 8, 2010
Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church
Atlanta, Georgia

Congregational Concert plus

 Workshops - Demonstrations - Networking

Plans are underway for the Celebrating Grace Hymnal debut. Details and registration information will be available this summer.  In the meantime, be sure to mark Monday, March 8, 2010, on your calendar for the official premiere entitled Celebrating Grace, to be held at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta. Music ministers and church music directors are invited to a full day of workshops, master classes and demonstrations, followed by the spectacular, cannot miss evening event. "Thousands of hours over the past three years have been spent developing this hymnal," said Tom McAfee, chair of the Celebrating Grace project. "We traveled across the country listening to church leaders, musicians, and lay leaders about their church music needs to make sure this hymnal is the very best resource available...one that will enrich church music for years to come."

The Hymnal is a comprehensive mixture of treasured hymns and songs that have been sung for generations and new ones by many of the nation's best loved church music composers and arrangers. "The Celebrating Grace Hymnal is for singing congregations, who love the spiritual journey that hymns provide," said Mark Edwards, Worship Resource Manager of Celebrating Grace. "The Celebrating Grace event will showcase the wonderful offerings of the Hymnal and the other church music resources that are available." While the Hymnal has been a major focus of the project for the past three years, it is only one component of the Celebrating Grace collection of church resources.

Also in development have been The Worship Matrix^TM and the online Supplemental Music Resources, which will provide church leaders with easy-to-use planning tools and online access to materials to develop theologically strong, cohesive services for their congregations. Both components will be introduced in conjunction with the Hymnal next spring, providing churches with a complete catalog of resources. Under development is a continuing education program for church music leaders. The advanced church music studies program, which would be offered through the Townsend-McAfee Institute for Graduate Church Music Studies at Mercer University, will enrich the musicianship skills and knowledge of church music leaders. "Music is an integral part of the worship experience," said Tom. "We want to provide churches with access to the finest music resources available."