Schedule and Staffing: The normal length of a Living Living Event is 2-1/2 days, beginning on Thursday evening, continuing through Friday (with an evening concert, which can be open to the public), and ending with a closing Eucharist on Saturday afternoon (see the sample schedule) This program is designed around the gifts and collaborative efforts of the five presenters: Pastors Susan Briehl and Ben Stewart, and musicians Marty Haugen, Mary Preus and Tom Witt. If necessary, we will work with you to adapt a different schedule or an alternative staffing.
Attendance, Costs & Funding: From experience, we have come to believe that the ideal size of a Living Liturgy event is between 100-250 participants, with a good balance of clergy and lay people. We believe that exceeding 250 attendees can reduce the effectiveness of the event for everyone. 75 is a minimum number for guaranteeing an event; the team is only able to schedule 4-5 events per year, and need know that a sponsoring congregation or synod is serious about recruiting participants.
The host's cost for a 2 1/2 day Living Liturgy event is $5,000, plus travel, meals and accommodations for all five presenters. The hosting group is also responsible for promotional costs and duplication of handouts. Upon receiving an inquiry, a member of the Living Liturgy team will be able to provide more detailed budget guidelines and a sample promotional brochure.
Location: The host should plan for the event at a church with a flexible worship space and available rooms for breakout sessions. There should be a quality piano in the worship space and in at least one of the breakout rooms. Part of the effectiveness of the conference depends on a worship space with good acoustics and strong visual symbols for Baptism, Word and Meal.
If the presenters can be housed at a modest hotel near the church, it simplifies things for both the host and the presenters.
Promotion: While all five presenters have roots in the Lutheran tradition, we seek to model a vision of worship that lifts up the ecumenical connections in Word and Sacrament between several Christian denominations. For this reason, it is advantageous to publicize within a number of denominational groups (e.g. the local Lutheran Synod and Region, the local Roman Catholic and Episcopalian Diocese, as well as local United Methodist, UCC and Presbyterian churches, etc.) We have a brochure template in Microsoft Publisher that you’re welcome to use, and we can also share with you the names and contact information of past hosts if you’d like to talk through logistics with someone who has already been through the hosting process.
Find out about another weekend opportunity: Leading the Song of God's People -- a training workshop for musicians choosing music and leading community sung worship.