# Convergence Music Project (CMP) **Summary.** A network and curation project that gathers contemporary worship music aligned with progressive, mainline, and emerging-church theological commitments. Addresses the gap between contemporary worship's musical energy and the NAR/prosperity theology embedded in most CCLI top 100 catalogs. ## Facts - **Co-founder and originating songwriter.** Bryan Sirchio (ordained UCC pastor, McFarland UCC, WI; singer-songwriter). Author of *The 6 Marks of Progressive Christian Worship Music* (AuthorHouse, 2012) — the foundational theoretical framework for the project. Sirchio offers workshops; one SNEUCC workshop was $25 with lunch (Source: 2. Areas/Worship/Worship Music Vetting Resources.md). - **Additional co-founders.** [[Brian McLaren]], Cameron Trimble (Center for Progressive Renewal). - **Parent network.** Convergence (Trimble's leadership-training and coaching organization). - **Annual conference.** cmpconverging.com — targets pastors and worship leaders coming out of conservative/evangelical backgrounds. Presenters include Diana Butler Bass, Otis Moss III, Brian McLaren, Stan Mitchell. - **Output.** Song curation, network building, downloadable sheet music and audio, subscription membership for congregations, songs indexed by liturgical function. ## Associated Composers and Communities - Mark Miller (UCC) — "Child of God," "Draw the Circle Wide," "Welcome"; widely used in Open & Affirming contexts. - Ken Medema. - Christopher Grundy (Dean of Chapel, Eden Seminary; UCC) — liturgical songs designed for liturgical function. - Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago (Moss's congregation). - The Many at LaSalle Street Church, Chicago — creative collective; lyrics by Lenora Rand; explicitly "making music and new kinds of inclusive, justice-building gatherings that offer space for faith and doubt, lament and gratitude." - Andra Moran. - Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan — psalm settings; accessible to traditional choirs. - Micky ScottBey Jones. - Rob Leveridge. - Ana Hernandez. - Fran McKendree. ## Tradition Progressive, mainline, emerging. ## Open Threads - A catalog of CMP-associated song titles with evaluation against the [[Worship Songs Evaluated]] rubric. - Relationship between CMP and Wild Goose Festival. - A mapping of CMP's overlap and divergence from the [[Inclusive Language Hymnody]] tradition (the two projects share values but operate on different liturgical forms). ## Related - [[Brian McLaren]] - [[Cameron Trimble]] - [[Otis Moss III]] - [[Inclusive Language Hymnody]] - [[Worship Songs Evaluated]] - [[Progressive Christianity]]