Fall 2017/Fuller Online

WS515

Willmington

WS515: WORSHIP LEADERSHIP: FORMATION AND SKILL (4 Units: 160 Hours). Edwin M. Willmington.

DESCRIPTION: This course will be an interactive experience for planning, leading, administering, and evaluating corporate worship, particularly from the standpoint of the musical leader. There will be personal and group experiences, including journaling of worship experiences, creating materials for corporate worship, principles for working with volunteers, all combined with an emphasis on spiritual formation and pastoral and theological principles of worship leading. Students will be encouraged in the use of a wide spectrum of worship styles and resources, in addition to evaluating their use for specific purposes within sacred settings. Maximum benefit for this course will be received by the student who is an active music worship leader in a regular worship setting.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will (1) learn of the broad musical heritage of the Christian church at worship; (2) acquire evaluation skills (musical and theological) for determining appropriate use of music in worship; (3) grow in their musical leadership skills in Christian worship; (4) gain experience in creating musical resources for worship, and (5) be made aware of spiritual challenges and disciplines relating to providing worship leadership.

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning. In addition, each student is expected to be involved in musical worship leadership, and/or an active worshiper, in an established worship setting during the quarter. There will be reading assignments, worship planning and evaluation sessions, mentoring concepts for personal skill enhancement, resource discovery and assessment, consideration of tools designed to encourage personal spiritual growth. The grade for the course will be based on understanding of reading materials, participation in discussion and group assignments, written assignments, along with worship leadership, and class attendance.

REQUIRED READING: 1,400 pp. required.

Beach, Nancy. An Hour On Sunday. Zondervan, 2013. ISBN: 978-0310515944, Pub. Price $24.99 [288 pp.].

Bradley, Randall. From Postlude to Prelude. Morningstar Music Publishers, 2nd Ed, 2015. ISBN: 978-0944529669, Pub. Price $32.00 [150 pp.].

Hicks, Zac. The Worship Pastor. Zondervan 2016. ISBN: 978-0310525196, Pub. Price &17.99 [197 pp.].

Kauflin, Bob. Worship Matters. Crossway Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-1581348248, Pub. Price $18.99 [Chp. 1-7, 60 pp.].

Noland, Rory. The Heart of the Artist. Zondervan, 1999. ISBN: 978-0310224716, Pub. Price $19.99 [352 pp.].

Van Opstal, Sandra. The Next Worship. IVP 2016. ISBN: 978-0830841295, Pub. Price $18.00 [150 pp.].

Course reader including selected reading from J. Oswald Sanders (Spiritual Leadership), Barry Liesch (The New Worship), and Constance Cherry (Worship Architect). [200 pp. assigned].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Assigned reading, 1,400 pages. (15%). [80 hours].

  2. Observation of video lecture, audio/video links, PowerPoint presentations, and other media postings. (15%). [20 hours].

  3. 250-word weekly forum posts, including worship leadership videos and resources (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 3, and 4] [10 hours].

  4. 250-word weekly forum responses (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 3, and 4] [10 hours].

  5. Musical/worship reflections based worship rehearsal/attendance (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2, 3, and 5]. [10 hours].

  6. Worship-related scripture memory (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #3 and 4]. [5 hours].

  7. Creative worship music writing project based on a liturgical/theological theme (may be music and/or lyrics) (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2, 3, and 5]. [10 hours].

  8. A 6-8 page written assignment, approved by the instructor, expressing the unique of each student in synopsis to reading, discussion, and experiences throughout the course. (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5]. [15 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: May be takenin successive quarters for credit.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.