Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
March 2, 2015 e-newsletter

Happy Spring!

 

I greet you with a (truly) frozen smile on my face. My part of New York State did not see one day above freezing in February. In fact, most of the month never made it as high as the teens, with frequent wind chills below zero. I know many of you can relate! I was so glad to hear that March 1 was the start of meteorological spring! So Happy Spring!

 

We in the church actually started our spring thaw on February 18, Ash Wednesday. "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Now we are in the midst of Lent's forty days - the springtime of our souls. It is (or can be) a time of growth and renewal for us and the church. How will you help those in your worshipping community see the crucified and risen Christ anew? How will you "rend your heart" to be more patient and kind and understanding with volunteers and staff? 

 

Another March feast day guides me this month - may it be a guide and prayer for you as well. Happy Spring!

 

"Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all who love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger." ~Att. Patrick
 

Julie Grindle

ALCM President-Elect

 

 

 
Have you registered for "Called to Be a Living Voice"?
Remember, prices go up April 20! 
A big "thank you" for two major gifts


ALCM recently received two major grants, and we want to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank our donors. In November 2014 we received a $10,000 grant from Thrivent Financial to be used for a new membership initiative. As a result of this grant, this summer Lutheran congregations in the United States will receive a newly-designed membership brochure as well as a copy of our new publication, In Tempo. 

In January the board learned that ALCM would once again receive a $15,000 grant from the Metro NY Synod of the ELCA. This is the third such gift that we have received from the Synod. As an undesignated grant, the money can be used both to cover general operating expenses as well as to cover the cost of specific projects that may arise.

On behalf of the board and the entire ALCM membership, many thanks to Thrivent Financial and the Metro New York Synod for these generous and important gifts!

Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America, a proud sponsor of ALCM, is pleased to present a brief video about pipe organs and APOBA. Please take three minutes and experience how a pipe organ, especially from an APOBA firm, can enrich your congregation's worship and music experience."

 
Accepting Nominations - Secretary/Treasurer

 ALCM is currently accepting nominations from the membership for the position of Secretary/Treasurer on the ALCM board, beginning in August of this year, for a four-year term. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, please email juliegrindle@hotmail.com by March 15. Thank you for your help!


Duties of the Secretary/Treasurer (from the ALCM constitution):

 

ARTICLE V

 

Officers


 

               Section 7.  Secretary/Treasurer.     The Secretary/Treasurer shall: (a) keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors and the general membership; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) have charge of all corporate books, records, and accounts and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) see that the seal of the Corporation is affixed to all documents the execution of which on behalf of the Corporation under its seal is duly authorized; (e) keep a register of the postal address of each member which shall be furnished to the Corporation by each member; (f) have general charge of the membership rolls of the Corporation; (g) have charge and custody of all funds and securities of the Corporation; (h) receive and give receipt for monies due and payable to the Corporation from any source whatsoever, and deposit all such monies in the name of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as shall be selected by the Board of Directors; and (i) in general, perform all of the duties incident to the office of Secretary/Treasurer and other such duties as from time to time may be assigned by the President or the Board of Directors.


 

Please note: duties noted in (e) through (h) above are carried out by the ALCM business manager, who reports to the Secretary/Treasurer on those issues.

      

Select "ALCM" as Your Thrivent Choice Dollars Recipient!


Thrivent Financial supports certain non-profits by allowing its eligible members to direct charitable funds to the organization through its "Thrivent Choice" program. ALCM received over $3,800 in 2014 from the Thrivent Choice program. If you are a member of Thrivent and are eligible to direct "Choice Dollars,"please select ALCM as a recipient. There are two ways to do this:

  1. On the Thrivent home page, log in to your account. Go to the "Search Organizations" page and type: "association of lu" in the organization name box and click the "Search" button. Select "Association of Lutheran Church Musicians" and follow the instructions for directing your Choice Dollars to ALCM.
  2.  Call 1-800-847-4836 and say "Thrivent Choice" after the greeting.

For more information about the Thrivent Choice program, click here. Thanks to all ALCM members and friends who directed their Choice dollars to ALCM in 2014 - your gift made a big difference!

 

Copies of This Far By Faith Available

 

Diane Young has 15-20 copies of This Far by Faith available. If you or someone you know can use copies of this hymnal, please contact Diane directly at