That's cool that people can get the business loans and that opens up new chances.

The Singing the Faith preview provides a vehicle for re-framing worship and music in the 21st century. Luther's impact on the Christianity as a whole runs wide and deep. For this I give thanks.

Pastor Ben Baldus
Lansing, Michigan

What a wonderful, media enhanced resource for the church. We, as Lutherans, have such a rich heritage as the singing church and this needs to be shared with the world. This DVD helps reinforce and proclaim that idea and is a great teaching tool for young and old alike. I appreciate all the hard work that went into creating this DVD and am so glad that the project was able to be completed. What a testament to the liturgical, confessional and orthodox Lutheran Church as it 'Sings the Faith' and professes Christ and Him crucified!

John Klinger
Chief Information Officer
Concordia Seminary, St Louis

The expanse and depth of this video series is simply astonishing. I just went through it again with our Adult Bible class, and the response was enthusiastic and warm. It especially helps our congregations to recognize the rich history of which we are a part. We step into the stream of Lutheran hymnody, and the waters of the Gospel rush over us, year by year, decade by decade, century by century. This video series allows us to get more of a bird's eye view of what we are blessed to experience every week. Thank you so much for making this available!

Rev. Todd Peperkorn
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin

"Singing the Faith" is a welcome resource that presents the depths and riches of our Lutheran musical heritage - past and present - through gifted teachers, congregational singing, and musical offerings.

This resource is particularly valuable for those of us who are leaders of the church's song. Whether we are called a kantor, organist, choir director, director of music, or church musician, we have a great privilege and responsibility in the words and music we put in the lips and ears of God's people. Why not give them some of the finest we can offer? "Singing the Faith" excels as a springboard to deepen our own understanding and appreciation of this heritage and helps us teach others about it. The DVD is a wonderful introduction and the Study Guide is a treasure trove of additional information and suggested resources for further study. I have found this study of Lutheran music to be a rewarding endeavor. It has encouraged me with a more deliberate and planned use of Lutheran hymnody in both hymn singing and instrumental music.

"Singing the Faith" is a salutary opportunity to teach and nurture you and your congregation with the wealth of our Lutheran musical heritage. It is important, though, that we do this not for nostalgia's sake, but rather because this heritage is living and truly says and sings of what Christ has done for us. It has value because it proclaims the Gospel.

Thank you Kantor Resch and The Good Shepherd Institute for this valuable gift to the church. The videography -- Stunning. The teaching -- Edifying. The music -- Comforting. The message -- Timeless.

Chris Hodnefield
Organist
St. John Lutheran Church, Vancouver, WA
St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Washougal, WA

It has been said, and rightfully so, that Lutheran Service Book is a treasure for our Synod. Now there is a beautiful companion for LSB. What an absolute treasure Kantor Resch and the Good Shepherd Institute have produced! Singing the Faith has outstanding, professional quality video, and the music is heavenly!

As a parish pastor who has just begun serving a new call, I am quite excited to share this gem with them. With the excellent video and a top-notch study guide to encourage discussion, Singing the Faith can be great in any number of educational settings: catechesis classes, Bible studies, or even for the youth. In each venue, people will learn and discuss why we sing what we sing, and appreciate the breadth and depth of our rich musical heritage. My new congregation has a love of music already, and Singing the Faith will increase and expand that love, without a doubt!

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Rev. Rich Heinz
St. John's Lutheran Church & School, Chicago, IL

Kantor Richard Resch’s Singing the Faith DVD exemplifies the highest quality of media and production values utilized to promote the living heritage of Lutheran church music. Alternately mystagogical, pedagogical, and musicological, this DVD encourages and highlights Lutheran worship done well, whether in a vast cathedral or a small parish. One has no doubt, if one did before viewing this endeavor, that Lutheran music can be both confessional and orthodox whilst also a living and breathing vehicle through which the Holy Spirit can move. During an age in which church music is blown in every direction by ephemeral fads, Singing the Faith moves the viewer beyond a discussion of mere stylistic trivialities into an appreciation for historic church music and liturgy, the mantle of which is carried into the twenty-first century by numerous living composers and authors.

Singing the Faith has been a wondrous tool at my own church and has brought pastors, choir members, and interested laypeople alike into a fruitful—and informed—discussion of the role church music can serve in Christ’s Church today.

Benjamin A Kolodziej
Organist and Director of Worship
Lord of Life Lutheran Church
Plano, TX

"Singing the Faith" is such an important and wonderful contribution, because it so clearly demonstrates that our Lutheran musical heritage is not simply an heirloom or a nostalgic remnant of days gone by, but still a vital servant of the Gospel. Our hymnody is not only beautiful in its artistry and poetry, but a beautiful confession of the Word of God, which is able to lift our hearts, minds and spirits unto Christ. In singing the faith, we are served by the song of Christ, and we serve those with whom and for whom we sing. 'Singing the Faith' serves the Church, also, by showing how accessible and versatile the great hymns are, whether one is working with modest or elaborate resources. What a great way to introduce the people of God to the blessings and benefits of this living treasure! Thanks to those who worked so long and hard to prepare and produce this tremendous gift.

Pastor D. Richard Stuckwisch
Emmaus Lutheran Church
South Bend, Indiana

Our congregation cherishes the richness of historic, confessional worship. However, in our day school we have families with a wide variety of worship backgrounds, both Lutheran and non Lutheran. Part of my task as principal is to help explain our doctrine and practice. Singing the Faith continues to be a valuable resource for me to use with parents as it explains why we do what we do and the rich history out of which the Divine Service comes.

Judy Thompson, Principal
Our Savior Lutheran School
Hartland, MI

“Singing the Faith” confesses the faith of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the same way that Luther did in the early days of the Reformation. Confessing the faith through singing was perhaps the way that the pure Gospel was propagated most among the common people. The best way to confess the faith is to sing it! And that the Evangelical Lutheran Church has done for nearly 500 years. Singing is proclamation. The Church proclaims best what she sings.

Kantor Resch has pointed the Church to this treasure which has been bequeathed to her. As he says, this is “no ordinary song,” but one that prepares the earthly saints to sing in eternity before the Lamb. Through skillful use of musical experts who explain this wonderful musical heritage in words that the people in the pew can readily grasp, and through the use of ordinary Lutheran congregations where the faith is sung, this marvelous DVD confesses and teaches. Of note [!] is the prominent use of children singing the faith through catechetical hymns which teach not only the children, but their parents as well. The involvement of children at an early age is critical in teaching and preserving the faith in them.

“Singing the Faith” has served up for the Church the nourishing meat and potatoes [some good vegetables, too!] of the Lutheran faith. This DVD brings a rich repast that is our Lutheran heritage, from the music of Luther and those directly influenced by him, such as Martin Schalling, Philipp Nicolai, and Paul Gerhardt, through J. S. Bach [who deserves and gets special mention], into our modern day with hymn writers such as Martin Franzmann and others. “Singing the Faith” shows the continuity of this rich musical and doctrinal gift that God has given the Church through talented theologians and musicians.

True to its purpose, “Singing the Faith” not only proclaims, it also teaches. It includes fascinating presentations by scholars, but it also includes penetrating questions to be discussed by those who view this DVD, involving them in the project. Of particular note is the utter practicality of asking the viewers to delve into their hymnals to discover the rich mother lode of the heart and soul of the Lutheran faith present in their hymns.

“Singing the Faith” does exactly what the Lutheran musical heritage does, that is, it not only preserves the orthodox Lutheran faith, it confesses it, and it teaches it. This DVD should be viewed and discussed in every Lutheran congregation. It would go a long way to settling many of the questions of “style” that plague our congregations.

Pr. Philip G. Meyer
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church
Terre Haute, IN

When "Singing The Faith" was released, our congregation was invited to show her support for the story of our Lutheran heritage in hymnody and church music by purchasing the video. Within two weeks, by pure word of mouth recommendation, sight unseen, our congregation had signed up to purchase thirty copies of the video. We have since sold many more. There is a hunger for authentic Lutheran hymnody and teaching out there, and this video provides it. Not one purchaser of this video has come back disappointed in the presentation - only superlative accolades have been received from our members who love their Lutheran hymnody so much, many of whom drive considerable distances on Sunday to hear and sing the Gospel in preaching, hymns, and liturgy here at our congregation.

Secondly, we pastors have added "Singing the Faith" to our continuing Adult Catechesis courses here at Faith - Plano. We take students through the Augsburg Confession, finishing with an in-depth look at the Lutheran Divine Service and now, watching the segments of "Singing the Faith". We have noticed that students who come to us from non-Lutheran backgrounds, and those who came from Lutheran congregations weak in catechesis on doctrine, liturgy, and hymnody, have all gone away with a profound appreciation of our hymnody. Especially meaningful to them is when they view the young boys singing hymns in Latin, German, and English, and the young girl singing the hymn to her parents, and all of the beautiful demonstrations of our hymns being sung which back up the history being taught. We have noted that our students leave with the "lightbulb on" regarding our Lutheran hymns and liturgy after viewing the video, to the extent that in the Divine Services we see these newly catechized singing and participating more fully and robustly in the liturgy and hymn singing of the congregation.

Third, the segment on Luther's use of Latin hymnody, its translation into German, and then into English, has come into handy use in our classical Lutheran school, where Latin is taught in the elementary level, and where original Latin texts (such as Ambrose's Veni, Redemptor Gentium and Rabanus' Veni Creator Spiritus) are studied by our high school students. Our high school students compared the Latin texts with Luther's German translations and with our LSB English translations - then watched the "Singing the Faith" video segment on this topic as reinforcement for what they had studied and learned. Younger students have also watched "Singing the Faith" as reinforcement catechesis towards the high appreciation for Lutheran hymnody that our congregation and school desires to impart to our children.

Rev. Jacob Sutton
Plano, Texas