The Center for Congregational Song continues to thrive. Sometimes our work isn’t public facing, though, so each year I like to do a retrospective that shares about all we’ve accomplished. There are so many people to thank who help make the work of The Center for Congregational Song possible that I won’t even begin to try to name them. But if you’re reading this, you’re one of those people. It takes me as the Director, the rest of The Hymn Society staff, all The Hymn Society members, all our friends, all the readers, all the song writers and publishers, all the pastors, worship leaders, and choir members, and every congregation member who sings each Sunday to make our dream come true of encouraging, promoting, and enlivening congregational singing. So, thank you.
While the many resources, ideas, articles, etc…are an important part of our work, the most important parts are the relationships we make along the way and the connections we facilitate. It’s a blessing to be tasked with this important work on behalf of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.
2025 By The Numbers
CCS website
- 24,000 active users
- 95 countries (15k US, 4k China, 2k Singapore, 1k Canada)
- 7 blogs
- Most Read Blog: “Overlooked Authorship of Waymaker by Sinach” with over 4700 readers
Adan A. Fernandez – New Editor of Puentes
Puentes – Our Bilingual Blog
- New Editor! Introducing Adan A. Fernandez
- Visit the blog here
Events
- Online Congregational Song Course (Jonathan Hehn)
- A Capella Sunday
- Ambassadors Program Workshop & Hymn Festival in Saskatoon (Matthew Boutda & Slats Toole)
- Iona Community Song Writing Week Collaboration (Adam Tice, Sally Ann Morris, and Gillian Warson)
- Hymn Society Conference
Latinx Gathering in Brazil (Collaboration with Red Crearte)- Florida Latino Song Writers Gathering #1 of 4 (Collaboration with MissionTalk)
- Writing the Church’s Song Retreat (Ben Brody and Mary Louise Bringle)
- AAR Hymn Festival & Academic Session (Stephanie Budwey, Becca Whitla, and Team)
Latinx Gathering in Brazil (Collaboration with
Consultations & Projects
- Consultation with Mormon Hymnal Education Committee
- CCLI Vetting Projects (information on this ongoing project here)
- Gathering of a Song Writers Group focusing on Disability Theology
GETI students & staff with Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, October 2025
Brian’s Work & Writing
- Hymnary.org board member
- GETI Program Student – More about this educational program here!
- Article on “Navigating Liturgies in Times of Political Turmoil and Injustice” for UCCMA journal
- Two Interviews with journalists writing articles on congregational song
- Book chapter entitled “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands: Children’s Songs, Ecology, and Lament” for Villanova University’s CLEAR (Children, Liturgy, and Ecology And Renewal ) project
What does 2026 have in store? Stay tuned. We look forward to all the relationships we’ll build, resources we’ll create, and singing that we’ll encourage and enable.
Brian Hehn, Director of The Center for Congregational Song
