Does it feel like your team is in a dry season? Or maybe as a leader, you are feeling the pains of leading a team. If you want to take your worship team to another level in their skill and worship to God, I would highly recommend worship conferences!
Attending these worship conferences with your team has so many benefits. From expanding musical skills to gaining fresh perspectives, worship conferences offer a platform for growth, inspiration, and collaboration. It's also really powerful to join other local churches and worship in a different context.
Not only will you be learning from renowned speakers, but will also be learning new and creative ideas that can transform your worship ministry.
Worship Conferences To Attend In 2023
Of course, there are a ton of conferences that one can attend, but check out a list of just some of the great events you can attend this year!
1. LIFT: Creative Conference
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
When: May 18-19, 2023
Cost: Currently sold out
This event is designed to bring together all the creatives who serve in church ministry and church leadership. The conference provides a unique space for creatives to come together.
With a focus on biblical teachings, personal growth, and rejuvenation in their respective gifts, leaders can come, free from the pressures of leading others and be refreshed. Special guests include Louie & Shelley Giglio, Brooke Ligertwood, Crowder, KB, and Rich Wilkinson Jr. This conference encompasses main sessions with teachings and immersive Christian worship.
There will also be breakouts covering a wide range of topics such as leading worship, production techniques, and various worship creativity themes.
2. Worship & Music Conference 2023: Thirst No More
Where: Montreat, North Carolina
When: June 18-23, 2023 and June 25-30th, 2023 for online and in person.
Cost: $175 to $555
Put on by the Presbyterian Association of Music, this week-long conference is geared toward all ages. Their conference website describes it as an intergenerational conference for children, youth, and adults who serve as church leaders, directors, instrumentalists, ringers, worship leaders, choir members, or anyone who loves to sing, play, learn, and worship.
With almost 30 speakers and presenters planned for the week, and many breakout sessions including handbells, global drumming, choir, and photography as worship, this conference is sure to be a wellspring of knowledge!
3. The Harp in Worship Conference
Where: Fort Worth, Texas
When: June 22-25, 2023
Cost: $400
With a focus on Harpists, this four-day conference is designed to educate, inspire, and equip harpists to worship through the music of the harp. The conference includes worship services, harp concerts, workshops, harp ensembles, and worship teams. Professional harpists who perform regularly in church settings will be playing for the concerts and leading the workshops.
4. Music Nashville: Worship 3217
Where: Mount Juliet, Tennessee
When: July 17-18, 2023
Cost: $139 to $229
Bringing together choirs and leading publishers, this unique conference experience will surely encourage you. The good news is that you don't need a choir with you to attend the conference. With two days packed with worship, fellowship, teaching, and concerts, you will be sure to leave this conference inspired and equipped to take back to your choral worship.
Leading publishers such as PraiseCharts, Lillenas Music, DayWind Worship, Semsen Music, and more will be in attendance.
5. Alleluia Conference
Where: Waco, Texas
When: July 18-21, 2023
Cost: One Day: $150, Full Conference: $375
This conference is hosted by Baylor University and unites many church musicians from all across America. They focus on leadership and training sessions in all areas of music ministry including: piano, organ, children’s choirs, handbells, music technology, youth choirs, conducting, worship, praise teams, and much more! The choral reading sessions with a full orchestra is always one of the highlights.
6. Worship Together 2023
Where: Nashville, Tennessee
When: July 20-22, 2023
Cost: Regular Tickets: $129, Regular Ticket + being included in Songwriting lab: $379
Hosted by The Belonging Co, this multi-day event (Thursday to Saturday) brings together worship leaders, church leaders, musicians, and creatives.
No breakout sessions are happening at this conference; instead, they will do worship, teaching, and panels in their main sessions. With leaders and speakers such as Cody Carnes, Hillsong United, Jesus Culture, and many more, it's bound to be an enlightening weekend!
This year's theme is ‘Good Dirt’ based on the principle that the church must be produced on ‘Healthy Soil’ to be effective.
7. Experience Conference 2023
Where: Orlando, Florida
When: Aug 29-Sept 1, 2023
Cost: $359
This conference is targeted for those who serve in worship ministries in their church, whether it's pastors, worship leaders, musicians, or tech. The conference goal is for worship team members to leave equipped, encouraged, and refreshed, ready to go back to their home churches and take their ministry to the next level.
The conference will include teaching techniques on how to work with your worship team, tips on leading worship, as well as teaching on how to write and publish new worship music. Some of the guest artists include Vertical Worship, Cain, Josh Baldwin, and Red Rocks Worship.
8. Sing! The Great Commission
Where: Nashville, Tennessee
When: Sept 4-6, 2023
Cost: $329 (student discounts and group rates are available)
This conference is the Getty Music Worship Conference, and its focus is on how worship fuels our witness to the nations. The conference will include a lot of guests, including Keith & Kristyn Getty, John Piper, Shane & Shane, Matt Redman, and many more.
Currently, the conference website has not released details on what is going to be taught or what breakout sessions will be happening, but keep checking back!
9. WAVE: Worship Audio Visual Experience
Where: Louisville, Kentucky
When: September 12-14, 2023
Cost: $139
Targeted for those who serve on your worship, audio, and visuals teams, this conference is sure to educate, so you can expect to dive into the exciting world of audio and visuals!
This conference will not only be teaching about worship and equipping your worship ministry, but also about the technical side of church productions, where you'll learn the ins and outs of popular programs used by most churches.
They will also explore the world of podcasting and teach you how to mix sound like a pro on Sunday mornings. Guest speakers include musical directors of various churches and founders of visual companies for churches.
10. Renewing Worship Expo
Where: Apex, North Carolina
When: September 30, 2023
Cost: $35
This one-day conference is targeted for anyone who serves on your worship team. The conference will not only have general worship sessions, but will also have breakout sessions on topics such as children's choirs, piano technicalities, and training for tech teams and vocal teams. Guest speakers include Travis Cottrell, David Manner, Sheri Gould, and many more.
11. Worship Innovators Conference
Where: Chicago, Illinois
When: Oct 2-3, 2023
Cost: $150
This worship conference focuses on practical training for worship teams. Bringing together the top innovators of worship technology, this conference is sure to be full of great information if you are looking to add some innovative technology into your worship services.
Key speakers include PraiseCharts founder Ryan Dahl, Sunday Sounds Founder David Pfaltzgraff, Loop Community Founder Matt McCoy, and many more!
12. Overflow Worship
Where: Willmar, Minnesota
When: Oct 13-14, 2023
Cost: $99
Overflow is a conference designed for anyone who serves in worship ministry, from musicians to sound & visual technicians. Everyone will leave equipped with new skills to take back to their own worship ministries!
Breakout session details have not been released on the website yet but guest speakers include Overflow Founder Andrea Olson, Worship Leader Problems Founder Brian Tabor, and many more!
13. Christian Musician Summit
Where: Tacoma, Washington
When: November 3-4, 2023
Cost: $159
This conference is for songwriters, technicians, leaders, and musicians. Breakout sessions include focusing on specific instruments and vocal skills. There will also be teachings on putting together setlists, skills on leading worship, how to encourage congregation participation, arranging songs for your team, and playing by ear.
With many many more! Guest speakers and musicians include Paul Baloche, Dave Cleveland, Renee Maranan, and many more!
What Are Worship Conferences?
Basically, a worship conference is exactly that! A conference that is focused on the key aspects of worship. It's a great opportunity for you and your team to have a one-stop shop learning experience in growing your worship ministry.
Through worship experiences, influential speakers, personal testimonies, discipleship, and stories that uplift and motivate attendees to pursue ongoing growth in their worship expression and spiritual life, you and your team will hopefully leave inspired and encouraged all for God's Glory!
What Are The Benefits Of Attending A Worship Conference?
I remember many years of trying to rally the worship team to come to a certain worship conference. Some people would jump on right away, but some members of the team just did not seem interested. Every year I dreaded the battle of having to convince people to come, and many times I thought, maybe I should just go on my own.
But every year at the end of the conferences, I was always glad we went as a team, and I always felt confident that the battle was worth it. Not only did our worship team benefit, but it was also a benefit to our local church. The team would come back with new passion and vision and excitement!
If you can encourage our team to go to a worship conference, I highly recommend it!
Here are just a few benefits your team can have by attending.
See what’s out there
Let's face it, most of us are homebodies when it comes to visiting other churches or watching worship videos, besides the polished YouTube videos. We are often just all about our church and whatever past experiences we have had.
But gathering with other churches and experiencing worship together and learning in a whole new context and really empower and encourage a team!
Fresh voices
When you are a leader and you are the one constantly teaching and training your team, it can be easy for a team member to just feel like you are on autopilot or just drown out your voice, especially if you feel like you are saying the same things over and over. A speaker or voice at a conference can feel like a fresh perspective or new revelation!
Time to refresh
Conferences don't just fill your team's brains; they will revive their spirits! Let's face it, many of our team members haven't experienced the kind of gathered worship atmosphere that a conference offers. Hear me out, I am not referring to the fact that it needs to be a famous worship leader.
There's something truly special and powerful about a room packed with worship leaders and team members all there for one reason, and worshiping with all their might! It's like a breath of fresh air for the soul and will inspire and refresh your team in ways they've never experienced before.
Try it!
If you have not tried out a worship conference or taken your team to one, I would highly encourage you to!
By attending a worship conference your worship teams can grow in their abilities, deepen their understanding of worship, and be refreshed and equipped to serve your church congregation with excellence and passion.
I would love to hear what worship conferences you have enjoyed attending! You can also check out these leadership conferences.
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