Songwriter Initiative

The Songwriter Initiative of the Center for Worship Leadership exists to support modern songwriters serving within Lutheran churches.   

They seek to be a positive resource and influence for those writing for the church-at-large. Music and melody, as a vehicle for the proclamation of the Gospel and expression of praise to God for all that he is and has done for us in Christ, has always been a valued part of the Lutheran tradition. Necessarily, then, our creativity requires guidance and meaningful training so that those who are called to write in service to the Gospel will benefit. To that end, the Songwriter Initiative exists to support songwriters throughout the church, empowering each artist to create art that glorifies God, while creating a community that shares the common goal of sharing the Gospel message of Jesus.

Currently they have over 30 contemporary songs that have been influenced by Lutheran theology.

You can access the music for these songs at https://www.cui.edu/academicprograms/christcollege/center-for-worship-leadership/songwriter

You can access the videos of many of these songs at https://www.youtube.com/@CWL 

One of their songs is God who Bleeds

Lent 2026 resources

 Lenten Resources for 2026

Grow Ministries - Lent resource

Lutheran Church of Australia - Lent resources

Lutheran Tract Mission - Lenten Devotions

Lutheran Education Australia - Lent 

Song Writers Initiative - God who bleeds Lent Series

Symbols of our Savior - Church of Lutheran Brethren 

LCMS - Midweek Lent Services

The Tear Fund - The Table Lent resources

ELCA World Hunger - Lenten resources

CPH - For Us Lenten Series

Faithinkubators - 2026 Lent resource

Martin Luther's Lent sermons

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Lenten reflections

Podcast: Pastor Mike drop

 A straight-from-the-heart weekly conversation with Pastor Mike Householder and the team of Community Church of Hope - West Des Moines about faith, life, and the places where Christ and culture intersect.

Many of the podcasts dive deeper into the biblical texts that Community Church of Hope are exploring in their worship services, from a their relevance for today perspective (just like their sermons)

In Series 1 they explored Faith and Daily life

In Series 5 they explored frequently asked questions about the Christian faith

You can listen to Pastor Mike drop at https://www.youtube.com/@PastorMikeDrop

Podcast: Lutheran leadership focus - Tim Ahlman Podcast

he Tim Ahlman Podcast is your go-to resource for inspiring conversations that equip leaders to thrive in every vocation, inside and outside the church. With three primary focuses, this podcast dives deep into:

Leadership: Learn from experts across diverse fields as we explore how their insights can shape and sustain a healthy culture in the local church and beyond. Over 60% of listeners expressed a desire for practical discussions on cultivating thriving environments—and that's exactly what these conversations will deliver.

Learn: Engage in deep theological discussions with scholars who illuminate how Christ is revealed on every page of Scripture. Together, we’ll bridge theology to the realities of a post-Christian America, ensuring practical application for today’s world. This segment aligns closely with the themes of the American Reformation Podcast and resonates with the 60% of you who crave more exploration in this area.

Live: Discover healthy habits that empower leaders in all vocations to become holistically healthy. As followers of Jesus, we’re called to lead not only with faith but also with physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

You can join Tim Ahlman as we navigate leadership, learning, and living with purpose, so you can lead with strength, wisdom, and a Christ-centered vision

Book: Reclaiming the joy of ministry

A life in Christian ministry can be tremendously rewarding and exhilarating. 

It can also be incredibly demanding and stressful. Professional church workers run the risk of becoming depleted—spiritually, relationally and vocationally, as well as physically and financially. Nearly every minister endures times of significant hardship, but few are willing to admit how overwhelmed they often feel by the demands and expectations placed on them. 

Longtime parish pastor Darrell Zimmerman will guide you on a detailed analysis of the hazards of the ministerial lifestyle and help you discover new possibilities for a long, joyful and fruitful career in ministry. His insights are grounded in the latest research into church worker stress and burnout, and informed by his vast experience as a parish pastor and as a mentor and guide to other church workers. 

The reader will learn to: 

• Monitor the presence of the Spirit’s gift of JOY, our fuel for ministry; 
• Assess their spiritual wellbeing and renew their life with God; 
• Tend to their relationships to find encouragement, love and unity; 
• Make vocational, physical and financial health top priorities.

Chapters/Lessons

• Ministry is great but hard
• Because ministry is the way of the cross
• And overwhelmed is a way of life
• So don't try this alone
• Joy is a fuel for ministry
• But ministry threatens the joy of life with God
• And ministry threatens the joy of life with community
• And ministry threatens the joy of ministry
• Which makes daily healing essential
• Therefore, self-care has to be intentional

Reclaiming the joy of ministry is available from Amazon.