This introductory training webinar explored the basic features of Lutheran Service Builder. With an introduction to the Church Year and the liturgy, the focus turned to planning a basic worship service and generating the service folder. This webinar was recorded live on February 14, 2017 and was hosted by Peter Frank, Senior Marketing Manager at Concordia Publishing House. To watch the full webinar, visit https://youtu.be/etCzUyh8p7M

1. Introduction to
Lutheran Service Builder
Training Webinar

2. Presenter
Peter Frank
Senior Marketing Manager
Concordia Publishing House
peter.frank@cph.org
(314) 268-1408

3. Housekeeping
50 Minutes for Presentation
10 Minutes for Questions
Ask Questions Throughout
Recording will be Shared

4. The publishing arm of
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
Since 1869, Concordia Publishing House
has been serving individuals, families,
and congregations in their proclamation
and learning of the Gospel.
Concordia Publishing House

5. 1904 World’s Fair

6. PC-based software that allows
churches to quickly and easily
plan services, create custom
service folders, export
presentations, and conform with
copyright requirements.

7. • Started as an idea during
a seminary class assignment.
• Developed in 2004-2006
by a seminarian, Bob Lail.
• Released shortly after the
Lutheran Service Book in 2006.
• Currently being used by about half of the LCMS.
• Presently being updated to become web-based.
Watch the video at
LutheranServiceBuilder.com

8. Assumptions
New to Lutheran Service Builder
Informal Training (at best)
Minimal Knowledge of Liturgy
Very Busy

9. Tell me about yourself.

10. Goals
• Learn the core features of Lutheran Service
Builder by planning a Sunday service
• Gain basic understanding of the Church
Year, Lectionaries, Propers, and Liturgy
• Export a simple service folder that can be
printed and used for a Sunday service

11. Outline
• Explore The Church Year
• Three-Year and One-Year Lectionaries
• Planning a Sunday Service
• The Propers
• The Parts of the Liturgy
• Exporting the Service Folder for Printing

12. Let’s get started!

13. Calendar View

14. Gathered Guests
• Written by CUW Professor
Rev. Dr. Timothy Maschke
• Originally published in 2003
for Lutheran Worship
• Updated in 2009 and
published as 2nd edition for
Lutheran Service Book

15. The Church Year
•Sundays and Seasons
•Feasts
•Festivals
•Commemorations

16. Sundays and Seasons
•Advent
(…Sunday in Advent)
•Christmas
(…Sunday after Christmas)
•Epiphany
(…Sunday after the Epiphany)
•Lent
(…Sunday in Lent)
•Holy Week
•Easter
(…Sunday of Easter)
•Pentecost
(…Sunday after Pentecost)

17. Feasts
Major Feasts
• Easter, Christmas, Pentecost
Principal Feasts (page xi in LSB)
• Examples: Circumcision and Name of Jesus,
The Annunciation of Our Lord
• Observed when they occur on Sunday

18. Festivals
• Designate the days that recognize those biblical
figures who have offered much for the life of the
Christian community.
• The disciples of our Lord as well as Reformation
Day are included in this category.
• May be observed during the “octave” of the
festival (Sunday to Sunday).

19. Commemorations
• List of people from both the Old and
New Testaments, as well as the first 19
centuries of the Church. (page xii in LSB)
• They are not normally observed on
Sundays, so they are not included in
Lutheran Service Builder.

20. Propers
• Those portions of the service that change (or are
“proper”) each Sunday or season of the Church Year.
• The Propers contrast with the ordinary portions of
the liturgy, which do not change.
• The Propers—Introit, Collect, the readings, Gradual,
and Verse—along with the colors of the Church Year,
underscore particular worship themes from the
liturgical calendar.
• The Propers for each Sunday and for most special
days in the Church Year are included in Lutheran
Service Builder.

21. Lectionary
• The historical Roman one-year lectionary was
retained after the Reformation (with some
adaptations).
• After Vatican II, an expanded three-year
lectionary was adoption by Roman Catholics and
other liturgical church bodies, including
Lutherans.
• This lectionary provided an increased scope, with
more preaching opportunities and the ability to
study larger units of Scripture.

23. Which lectionary does your
church use?

24. Set Your Lectionary
• Set your lectionary in
Lutheran Service Builder under
Edit  Preferences  Location
• For a quick glance at the Propers, visit
LutheranCalendar.org

25. Plan a Service

26. Divine Service
• Setting One
Source: LW Divine Service II, First Setting
• Setting Two
Source: LW Divine Service II, Second Setting
• Setting Three
Source: Common Service, TLH Page 15
• Setting Four
Source: Divine Service, Hymnal Supplement 98
• Setting Five
Source: Luther’s German Mass

27. What is Liturgy?
“[Liturgy] is the design or pattern through
which the congregation gathers to hear
and receive anew the Gospel promise in
Word and Sacrament, and then to respond
collectively to the abundant gifts and
gracious presence of the Triune God.”
LCMS Commission on Worship, “What Is Liturgy?”

28. Rubrics
• The directions for leading worship—determining who sings
or says what at a specific point in the service.
• Some rubrics say something “may” occur, which means the
direction is optional and appropriate substitutions or
deletions are indicated.
• Other rubrics indicate that something “is” done or the item
is merely indicated (for example, the sermon), which means
this item is not an option.
• The “is” rubric (older versions of the rite said “shall”)
indicates a substitution is irregular and a deletion should
not be made under normal circumstances because the
element is basic to the structure of the service.

29. Divine Service, Setting One
•Confession and Absolution
•The Service of the Word
•The Service of the Sacrament

30. Confession and Absolution
• Hymn of Invocation
This opening hymn is
optional
• Invocation
The official start of the
service
• Exhortation /
Invitation
• Silence of Reflection
• Confession of Sins
• Absolution
When an ordained
minister is not present,
use Declaration of Grace

31. The Service of the Word
• Introit, Psalm, or
Entrance Hymn
• Latin for “he enters in”
• First Proper included
• Kyrie
• From Kyrie eleison, which means
“Lord, have mercy”
• Traditionally spoken by
laypeople, so it was known as the
Deacon’s prayer
• May be omitted during the
Sundays after Epiphany, after
Pentecost, and on festivals
• Hymn of Praise
• Gloria in Excelsis
• “This Is the Feast”
• Omitted during Advent and Lent.
• Salutation and Collect
of the Day
• Traditional Christian greeting
• Collect of the Day is a Proper
• Five-part petition: invocation,
reason, petition, result, and
trinitarian termination.

32. The Service of the Word
• Old Testament Reading
• During Easter, it is replaced
by reading from the Book of
Acts
• Psalm or Gradual
• Gradual is Latin for “step”
• The Gradual is a Proper for a
Season, not Sunday
• Epistle
• Alleluia and Verse
• Alleluia removed during Lent
• Holy Gospel
• Includes Announcement,
Reading, and Response
• Hymn of the Day
• Augments the readings
• Considered a Proper
• Sermon
• Never just an option in
Divine Service
• Considered to be part of
“the Word”

33. The Service of the Word
• Creed
• Nicene Creed
• Traditionally used
during Holy
Communion Services
• Apostle’s Creed
• Baptismal Creed
• Athanasian Creed
• Most often on Holy
Trinity Sunday
• Prayer of the Church
• LetUsPray files available
on our website
• Greeting of Peace
• Offering
• Voluntary
• Offertory

34. The Service of the Sacrament
• Preface
• Proper Preface
• Full or Abbreviated
• Sanctus
• Prayer of Thanksgiving
• The Words of Our Lord
• Two placement options for
the Lord’s Prayer
• Pax Domini
• Agnus Dei
• Distribution
• Rubrics may be removed.
• Distribution Hymns
• Post-Communion
Canticle
• Post-Communion Collect
• Benediction

35. Exporting the
Service Folder

36. Print the Service Folder
• Switch to Bulletin View
• Choose Music Style for Each Element
• Choose Layout
• Click “Save As”
• Open File and Print

37. Download a Free Trial today at
LutheranServiceBuilder.com

38. Peter Frank
peter.frank@cph.org
(314) 268-1408
Software Sales
softwaresales@cts.cph.org
(800) 325-2399

39. Questions & Answers

40. Thank you for attending!