Workshop Descriptions
Creative Writing
Kristen Mudge, THQ
Writing as Personal Worship
As worship leaders, it’s important for us to remember that our worship needs to be deeply personal, not just performative. In this workshop, you’ll learn that we are all writers, and writing can be a great way to stay connected to God. It can also be a useful tool in tracking your discipleship journey. Bring your Bible and your journal if you have one!
Workshop Session 1, Rock Cottage
Creative Worship Writing
Calling all poets, balladeers, short story authors, scholars, or anyone looking for a creative way to study Scripture! You are created in the image of a creative God, so you are a creative writer. In this workshop we will explore ways to use Scripture and creative writing to enhance or support worship at your corps. Bring your Bible!
Worshop Session 3, Rock Cottage
Worship Team
Israel Doria, West
From Ear to Stage: Learning Songs Without a Chart
What do you do when there’s no chord chart, tutorial, or roadmap? In this hands-on breakout, Israel will demonstrate a practical process for learning songs directly from a recording. Attendees will develop their critical listening skills, identify and chart chord structures accurately, and capture the musical details needed to prepare their own parts—or guide the rest of the band. If time and setting allow, participants will put the process into practice by creating a chart of their own.
Workshop Session 1, Sequoia
Creating Certainty: A Practical Guide to Music Direction
Great music direction helps a worship band move with clarity, confidence, and unity. In this practical breakout, Israel will unpack the MD’s role—from mastering the material and aligning with the worship leader to building an effective monitor mix and cueing roadmaps, chords, and dynamics in real time. Attendees will also explore how an MD can solve musical problems, reshape an arrangement, and lead spontaneous moments without creating confusion. Whether you’re stepping into music direction for the first time or already leading from within the band, you’ll leave with a clear framework for hearing, directing, and developing your team.
Worshop Session 3, Sequoia
Theater
Gwynn Potter, West
These classes will be led through a creative exchange, leaning on the leader's background to guide, not dictate, conversations. Whether you are taking your first steps or have years of leadership behind you, you’ll find fresh perspectives to carry forward.
Launch, Culture, and Actor Foundations
Focus: Group launch, personal actor experience, safe environments, and basic stage mechanics.
Workshop Session 2, Activity Center
Crafting, Production, and Advanced Leadership
Focus: Scriptwriting, subtext, multi-department coordination, administrative alignment, ministry longevity, and Q & A.
Worshop Session 3, Activity Center
Brass
Nick Simmons-Smith, THQ
A practical approach to conducting and rehearsing
Delegates will get the opportunity to conduct a live brass band and receive constructive feedback on their approach, gestures, beat pattern, and communication with the ensemble. Everybody learns regardless who is in front of the group!
It is helpful to already know basic beat patterns before attending, but the group will learn preparatory beats, starting and stopping, fermatas, what to listen for – and rehearse, so don’t feel that you will be “out of your depth” – Nick will be there to help you!
Workshop Session 2, Conservatory Lanier (Nick Simmons-Smith)
What does it take to be a leader?
Delegates will learn about all other aspects of being a corps music leader – choosing repertoire, communication with a Corps Officer, time management, pastoral care for your group, planning a rehearsal, planning for a performance, evangelism, growing your fellowship, staying relevant, etc., etc., etc.!
No prior knowledge of music leading required for this class – but these classes work well in tandem if you are able to take both!
Worshop Session 3, Conservatory Lanier (Tom Hanton)
Tom Hanton, THQ
Choral
Bethany Farrell, THQ
Music and Movement
Learn how to create and lead a fun, engaging Music and Movement class that helps preschoolers grow in their faith through music, rhythm, movement, and play. This practical class will cover class structure, repertoire selection, incorporating instruments and movement, managing young learners, and creating a joyful environment. Participants will leave with simple tools and ideas they can use to confidently start and run their own M&Ms program.
Workshop Session 1, Activity Center (Bethany Farrell)
Choral
Details Coming Soon!
Worshop Session 2, Conservatory Reifer (Robert Snelson)
Robert Snelson, THQ
Dance
Dance 1
Details Coming Soon!
Workshop Session 1, Dance Studio
Dance 2
Details Coming Soon!
Worshop Session 2, Dance Studio
Talitha Barrington, AOK
Visual Arts
Visual Arts 1
Details Coming Soon!
Workshop Session 1, Visual Arts Studio
Visual Arts 2
Details Coming Soon!
Workshop Session 2, Visual Arts Studio
Visual Arts 3
Details Coming Soon!
Workshop Session 3, Visual Arts Studio
Sharon Robinson, AOK
Worship Technology
Emma Edelman, THQ
Canva for Worship Prep: Creating Slides & Finding Graphics
Learn how to use Canva to create clean, engaging visuals for worship without spending hours designing. This practical workshop will cover the basics of creating worship slides, working with templates, choosing fonts and graphics, maintaining a consistent look, and preparing slides for presentation. We’ll also explore other helpful resources for finding quality graphics, backgrounds, and creative inspiration for worship.
Workshop Session 1, Conservatory Lanier (Emma Edelman)
ProPresenter for Beginners: Building & Running Worship Presentations
Great music direction helps a worship band move with clarity, confidence, and unity. In this practical breakout, Israel will unpack the MD’s role—from mastering the material and aligning with the worship leader to building an effective monitor mix and cueing roadmaps, chords, and dynamics in real time. Attendees will also explore how an MD can solve musical problems, reshape an arrangement, and lead spontaneous moments without creating confusion. Whether you’re stepping into music direction for the first time or already leading from within the band, you’ll leave with a clear framework for hearing, directing, and developing your team.
Workshop Session 2, Conference Center (Emma Edelman)
Managing a Production Team
Production teams are more than support volunteers—they are an essential part of the worship planning and execution team. In today’s worship environments, skillful use of audio, graphics, broadcast, and other technology is often necessary to create a distraction-free environment where people can engage in worship.
In this breakout, we’ll look at practical ways to involve your production team earlier and more intentionally in worship planning, and lead them as a unified team. We’ll look at how clear communication, preparation, and team leadership can help your audio, graphics, and broadcast teams work together.
Workshop Session 3, Conservatory Main (Josh Powell)
Josh Powell, THQ
Dorico
Robert Snelson, THQ
Dorico 1
Details Coming Soon!
Workshop Session 1, Conservatory Reifer
Dorico 2
Details Coming Soon!
Workshop Session 3, Conservatory Reifer
Tim Burleigh, THQ
Worship Planning
Nick Simmons-Smith, THQ
Josh Powell, THQ
WORSHIP DESIGN - The Golden Hour!
A look at planning, preparing and executing a God-honoring time of worship each week. What should we include in corporate worship? How worried should we be about time? How does the Holy Spirit influence our plans?
We all want dynamic, vibrant expressions of worship every Sunday in our corps. This session will look at the biblical basis for worship gatherings, and a look at what worship at a Salvation Army corps might look like in 2026. Anyone interested in making worship more vibrant and dynamic at your corps should attend!
Workshop Session 1, Conservatory Main (Nick Simmons-Smith)
The Worship Diet
Just like what we eat shapes our physical health, what we sing shapes the way we understand and express our faith. The songs and hymns we choose for our churches teach us what we believe, what we value, and how we respond to God.
In this workshop, we’ll take a closer look at the “diet” we’re giving our congregations through the songs we sing. We’ll talk about the balance of biblical truth, theological depth, different themes, musical styles, and familiar favorites—and why a healthy worship diet needs variety. The goal isn’t to decide which songs are “good” or “bad,” but to become more thoughtful and intentional about what we put in front of our congregations week after week.
Workshop Session 2, Conservatory Main (Josh Powell)
The Creative Spark: Caring for the Creative Call in Ministry
Music and Arts Ministry can be deeply meaningful—and deeply demanding. This workshop invites leaders to recognize the signs of burnout and discover practical ways to care for their bodies, minds, spirits, and creative lives.
Through a series of exercises and creative play, participants will explore how to prevent burnout, recover when depleted, and gently reconnect with their creative spark. The workshop offers simple, accessible practices that can be woven into everyday ministry life, helping participants make space to receive and respond to their creative call with greater presence, resilience, and joy.
Workshop Session 3, Conference Center (Bethany Farrell)
Bethany Farrell, THQ