Fall 2015/Pasadena

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; and (4) be spiritually prepared for ministries relating to the use of music in worship.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-hour sessions for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours. In addition, each student is expected to be involved in musical worship leadership in an established worship setting during the quarter. There will be reading assignments, group planning and evaluation sessions, mentoring 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 attendance.

REQUIRED READING: 1,100 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, 2004. ISBN: 978-0944529362, Pub. Price $32.00 [330 pp.].

Kauflin, Bob. Worship Matters. Crossway Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-1581348248, Pub. Price $17.99 [Chp. 1-7].

Noland, Rory. The Heart of the Artist. Zondervan, 1999. ISBN: 978-0310224716, Pub. Price $16.99 [352 pp.].

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

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: In addition to the above reading, the following will be required:

  1. Assigned reading, 1,100 pages. (10%). [70 hours].

  2. DLA: Eight 400-500 word journal posts, related to reading materials (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5]. [10 hours].

  3. Musical/worship rehearsals related to Fuller Chapel leadership/attendance (dates to be specified). (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2, 3, and 5]. [10 hours].

  4. Worship-related scripture memory (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #3 and 4]. [5 hours].

  5. Attendance at the Brehm lectures and 3-5 page written assessment of a musical/worship concept discovered in the lectures (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, and 4]. [10 hours].

  6. Creative worship music writing project based on a liturgical/theological theme (may be music and/or lyrics). (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2, 3, and 5]. [10 hours].

  7. 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. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5]. [15 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Required in the Worship and Music Ministry emphasis. Option to count in the Theology and Arts emphasis. Option to count in the Worship, Theology and the Arts emphasis.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.

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