An event that’s been six years in the making is coming to Trinity Lutheran Church in Albert Lea Nov. 19-21.

Trinity is offering a Living Liturgy event, a three-day worship education event only given two or three times a year, said Sonya Zieske, one of the organizers of the event who is also the Trinity Choir accompanist and Celebration Choir director.

“We’re very excited about it,” she said.

The event is open to not only to those involved in worship or music — pastors, assisting ministers, church council, organists, choir directors and worship leaders — from any church, but also members of the public who are interested.

Zieske said she and a few other members of the church attended one of these events six years ago in Forest City, Iowa. It was then they decided to try to bring the event here.

The Living Liturgy event provides an opportunity for participants to deepen their knowledge, renew spirits and widen visions. The workshop takes its shape from the four-fold pattern of Sunday liturgy: gathering, word, meal and sending, and includes sessions on worship planning, liturgical theology and building leadership skills for musicians.

The Living Liturgy team is comprised of Susan Briehl, Ben Stewart, Marty Haugen, Tom Witt and Mary Preus.

Briehl, from Spokane, Wash., has been a Lutheran pastor for 25 years. She’s served in parish, campus and retreat center settings. she is an associate with the Valparaiso Project on Education and Formation of People in Faith.

Stewart teaches worship at Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and is in the process of finishing his Ph.D. at Emory University in Atlanta. He previously served as pastor to a small congregation in the Appalachian region of Ohio and to Holden Village, a retreat center in Washington.

Haugen is a composer and pastoral musicial from Eagan. For the past 20 years, he has presented workshops on music and the renewal of worship across North America. He has more than 400 published compositions, including “Now the Feast and Celebration” and “Holden Evening Prayer.” His music is included in hymnals for Christians of many denominations in a number of countries.

“He has at least 20 songs in our hymnal (“Evangelical Lutheran Worship”), Zieske said.

Preus is a singer, song leader and choir director at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. She presents and leads workshops on enlivening Christian worship, focusing on the role of song leader.

Witt has been keyboardist, worship leader and song leader for a wide variety of Lutheran and ecumenical church events. He serves as a worship and music consultant for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Division for Global Mission.

Over the last six years, members of Trinity Lutheran have held fundraisers to get seed money to host this event, said the Rev. Curtis Zieske. The church has also gotten funding from the Southeastern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American and from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans branches.

“We’re terribly excited about this to get in national and international worship leaders,” Curtis Zieske said. “And Trinity is excited to be hosting.”

Thursday evening events include registration, a session, “The Heart of the Matter,” and closing prayers around the cross.

Friday’s events include sessions titled “Gathering the Many Into One, “Leading the Assembly’s Song” and “Breaking Open the Word.” There will also be a breakout session. At 7 p.m., there will be a concert and songfest led by Haugen, Preus and Witt, to which the public is invited. There is no charge for the concert, but an offering will be taken.

Saturday’s sessions include ‘Setting the Table,” a breakout session, “Sending the Assembly” and “Taking it Home” as well as a closing eucharist.

There will also be displays by two publishing companies, GIA and Augsburg Fortress Publishing.

So far, people from Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota have registered for the Living Liturgy event, Sonya Zieske said.

Cost for the event is $85, which includes two lunches. There is still space for those who wish to attend.

To register, contact Trinity at 373-2466 or download a registration form at www.tlc-al.org.