JOHN MARSH (Director of Music Ministries) 

Call me at 770-449-1211, ext. 109, or e-mail me at jmarsh@ctklutheran.org.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Job Description
My ministry at Christ the King encompasses several areas related to music, worship and the arts. I supervise our music staff, plan worship, give vision to our music ministry, lead Chancel Choir, Celebration Ringers and Celebration Orchestra.  An important part of what I do is to involve newcomers in our worship and music ministries.  I always love to share what's going on at Christ the King.

People Contact Me Seeking:
Information about our musical groups, Abendmusik (our concert series), information about the organ, visiting choirs, organ improvisation, music/arts conferences, LPM (Leadership Program for Musicians), small church issues and community music/arts outreach.

What kind of questions do I typically answer?
How can I get involved in music and worship at Christ the King?  How do I join Chancel Choir? Celebration Ringers?  Celebration Orchestra?  What programs do you have for my children to enjoy music?  How can I help at worship services?  My child is interested in playing an instrument - can you help me find a teacher?  I don't sing or play an instrument - can I help the music ministry in another way?

For those who want to know more about me  .  .
John began his musical training studying piano with his aunt, Rosa Weikel. He earned the Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University (music.indiana.edu/), and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston (music.rice.edu/). 

Dr. Marsh has served as Director of Music Ministries at Christ the King Lutheran Church since 2007. His duties include planning worship, long-range visioning, supervising music staff and leading musical ensembles. In the fall of 2008, the Abendmusik series of concerts, worship and special events launched its first season.  Future plans include a Fine Arts Academy at Christ the King that would offer classes and lessons in music and other arts disciplines for all ages.

While serving Kinsmen Lutheran Church (2000-2007), Houston (kinsmenlutheran.org/), he initiated the Abendmusik series of concerts and worship that brought the community to the church through arts, worship and teaching venues. He chaired the Bishop’s Committee to introduce the new ELCA Book of Worship, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, to the Texas-Louisiana-Gulfcoast Synod (gulfcoastsynod.org/) in 2006.

In Houston, he rang for eleven years with Houston Bronze Ensemble (houstonbronze.com/), one of the premier nationally-recognized handbell ensembles, and co-directed it one year. During this time, HBE was a headliner at several national conferences of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers.

For nineteen years (1981-2000), Dr. Marsh served as Organist and Choirmaster at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Houston (stmartinsepiscopal.org/), the largest Episcopal church in the nation. During his time at St. Martin’s, he served as the chair of the Church Music Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas (1994-2001; www.epicenter.org/edot/Music_Commission.asp). In this capacity, he was actively involved in the planning and implementation of several regional and national conferences of The Episcopal Church held in Houston (Association of Anglican Musicians, Association of Diocesan Liturgical and Music Commissions, Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, “The Gathering” of the Diocese). During his chairmanship, a Children's Choir Camp at Camp Allen (http://www.campallen.org/) and the LPM program, a continuing education program for church musicians, were begun.

Dr. Marsh is a member of the adjunct faculty at the Lone Star College System (lonestar.edu/) where he has taught many music classes and private lessons in the College of Fine Arts, and helped energize the college’s Distance Learning Program (online classes), for which he continues to teach from Atlanta!  He has also taught online classes for CALL, The Center for Anglican Learning and Leadership (cdsp.edu/center.php), at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California.

Active with The Leadership Program for Musicians (lpm-online.org) since its inception in 1995, he has served LPM as faculty, coordinator for East Texas-Louisiana, and, currently, as Chair of the National LPM Board.  Locally, he serves with others to offer LPM classes in the greater Atlanta area which began in 2008.

John recently was a guest author for the Church Publishing Inc. book What Would Jesus Sing? - Experimentation and Tradition in Church Music.  Ten essays about what churches are doing that is not "business as usual" in their music ministry. Includes theological and liturgical rationale, basic "how-to" information, and personal testimony to the communal advantages of each ministry, as well as descriptions of alternative/additional worship services that are flourishing across the country. Includes material about contemporary ensembles, jazz, handbells, guitars, synthesizers, electronic music and the emerging church, organs and choirs, youth, amateur, professional instrumentalists, cantors, Taizé services, Compline, and the Hip Hop eMass.  John's chapter concerned "Using Professional Musicians in the Church Music Setting."

He belongs to the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, Association of Anglican Musicians, American Choral Directors' Association, Choristers' Guild, American Guild of Organists, and the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers.

LINDA SPARKS
(Associate Musician & Organist)

Linda holds degrees and certificates in Music Theory, Music Education and Oboe/English horn performance.  She has played professionally in orchestras throughout the southeast.  She is best known for her many years teaching music to different age groups, teacher training and pedagogy.

Ms. Sparks' musical training  begin with piano at the age of five.  At age 15, she started working in the church as organist and pianist, and as a substitute musician with the Mobile Symphony that same year.

On the music education scene, she is Yamaha and Suzuki certified and maintains a private piano and theory studio, especially coaching AP music theory students. 

She has served as church musician at Resurrection Episcopal (northeast Georgia), Christ Church, Kennesaw, and St. Bede's Episcopal, Atlanta.