Mike Harland has had a lot of conversations about worship.

As director of LifeWay Worship, Harland noticed how often those conversations were with pastors who wanted to talk about issues, challenges, or sometimes just new ideas, related to his church’s worship ministry.

It was those conversations that led Harland to write the book, “Worship Essentials,” last year. Subtitled “Growing a Healthy Worship Ministry Without Starting a War!,” the book focuses on what Harland sees as “four necessary values for any church that hopes to have a healthy worship ministry.”

Harland’s book will be the subject of the morning session of this year’s OneDay for Worship Leaders conference, to be held Thursday, August 29, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Hunter Street, Hoover.

State Missionary Keith Hibbs, director of the office of worship leadership at the State Board of Missions and planner of the event, is quick to point out that this conference is not designed just for music ministers, but for worship leaders and pastors to attend together.

In fact, the afternoon session will feature a panel of five pastor/worship leader teams from various churches around the state, discussing how they approach worship in their churches.

Hibbs selected the panelists based on their working relationships, tenured experience, and healthy worship practices, noting that they come from different size churches and from different areas of the state.

The list of panelists includes Derek Gentle and Michael Scarborough, Tallassee First; John Brock and B.J. Price, Highland, Florence; David Eldridge and John Woods, Dawson, Birmingham; Rusty Sowell and Thomas Smith, Providence, Opelika; and Buddy Champion and Joe Estes, Trussville First.

Questions for the panelists will be submitted ahead of time by participants.

Topics in past years have included worship technology, future worship trends and intergenerational worship, Hibbs said.

“This year’s timely focus on worship essentials as outlined in Harland’s book and then the opportunity to dialogue with these worship leadership teams affords a wonderful opportunity for worship leaders and pastors to take one day and receive inspiration, continued training and networking.”

For more information or to register, visit alsbom.org/oneday. Registration fee includes lunch and a copy of the book, “Worship Essentials.”

For more information about worship leadership, contact State Missionary Keith Hibbs, 1-800-264-1225, ext. 217; (334) 613-2217; [email protected].