Worship 4 today

Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 April 2012 10:08

A Course for Worship Leaders and Musicians

Worship 4 Today is a highly successful course which has been used in Sheffield Diocese since 2007,  where it runs for one academic year alongside other lay training.  Over the past two years, the course has been thoroughly revised and published as a national resource.  It is now being run in various other dioceses in this country and farther afield.

Written by experienced practitioners Revd Helen Bent, together with Liz Tipple, worship leader, teacher and professional musician,  Worship 4 Today has proved a catalyst in many churches for renewed vision and direction in worship.

This exciting training course will be running for the sixth time from September 2012 to July 2013. This year we have been joined by participants from two other dioceses with a view to taking the course back to their own area.

‘Worship 4 Today’ runs on Sunday afternoons alongside the existing Lay Training courses as part of the School of Ministry.

‘Worship 4 Today’ combines theology, history and practice in a dynamic programme.

The aims of the course are:

• to nurture a foundation of personal worship
• to provide a biblical and historical background
• to understand worship styles across the church
• to develop new expertise and practical skills
• to explore authentic worship for a mission-shaped church

In its first five years, ‘Worship 4 Today’ has attracted over 90 enthusiastic students, an interesting mix of Readers, non-musicians and musicians.

It is particularly suitable for clergy or laity who might:

• already be involved in leading worship in their local church
• sense a call to a ministry of leading others in worship
• wish to develop their musical understanding further
• wish to improve their level of musical competency
• wish to deepen their understanding of worship

This is what they say about the course :

“Busy, intense and fruitful…

…We all have lots to learn and lots of opportunities to learn them.”

“The course has been far more intense than I expected with a lot more homework than I expected, but I have learned that it can be great fun working with people I had never met before.”

“The course so far is brilliant!    Love it!”

“What a range of people and different situations.”

The Course

The course consists of eleven Sunday afternoon sessions from 1.45 – 5.15 pm (including a tea break) and one Saturday from 9.00 am – 4.00 pm (in May 2013). Each session will include teaching, discussion, group work and experiential learning.

There are four key areas to the programme

• Theology and History
  Theology of worship and music in worship
  Worship in the Bible and through church history
  Liturgical formation and good practice
  Choosing appropriate material for worship
• Leadership Skills
  Developing a servant heart
  Developing skills for leading worship
  Pastoral skills for building a worship team
  Enabling a congregation to worship
• Musical Skills
  General musical skills for the musician and non-musician
  Developing specific skills (tailored to needs of the group)
  Introducing and teaching new material to a congregation
  Running effective rehearsals
• Exploration
  Understanding different church traditions
  Understanding different worship styles
  Fresh Expressions and emerging worship
  Worship in a mission context

Course Requirements

There are no academic, educational or musical requirements. The most important requirement for participants is to come as worshippers themselves, to seek to engage with God in different forms of worship, and to learn to lead others in inspiring worship which is both converting and transforming.

But I’m not a musician…

“I’m not as bad or as unknowledgeable or as unable to lead worship as I thought. The course is a real confidence booster, but I still have a lot to learn.”

“I’ve learnt that I have a lot of potential that ‘s not being used.”

This course is not just for musicians, but for all those involved in being part of a parish worship team. It is suitable for any one who wants to understand more about worship and how to do it well. This course might be seen as a useful development for Clergy and Readers as well as those who are already involved in Church Choirs or Music Groups.  The course is proving useful for Church Wardens in multi-benefices and when faced with clergy vacancy.

Course Team

The course will be run by a team, led by Revd Helen Bent, Bishop’s Adviser in Music and Worship, together with others with particular expertise in various areas.

Worship 4 Today Course Dates 2012/13

Sunday Afternoons:

Sept 9th

Oct 14th

Nov 4th

Dec 9th

2013

Jan 13th

Feb 10th

March 10th

April 14th

May12th  also Saturday May 11th

June 9th

July 14th

Course Fees

The course fee will be £120 per person. This will cover the provision of all resources and refreshments.  There is a £60 additional supplement for those attending from other dioceses.

Please do not let the cost prevent you from applying. Participants are encouraged to ask their Church to contribute to their fees.

Taster Evenings

Taster evenings for the new courses  are  held for those who are thinking about participating.

These will be held from 7 to 9 pm on:

• Tuesday 17th April 2012 at Barnby Dun Church, near Doncaster.
• Wednesday 9th May 2012 at Diocesan Church House, Rotherham

Please let Helen Bent know that you are coming to one of these by phone : 01709 – 363850 or by email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Before you join the course, you will need to:

• Have the support of your Incumbent and PCC
• Fill in an application form
• Have a brief interview

The Taster Evenings give you an ideal opportunity to explore the course in more detail. However, a high level of commitment is expected with attendance at all sessions unless very good reasons prevent this.

Attending the course will also involve:

• Preparatory reading or short written tasks for each session
• Practical involvement and ministry during the course
• Keeping a personal journal and portfolio
• Making a visit to at least one church where the worship (and music) is of a different style to your own church
• Completing a personal project, designed to affirm each candidate’s development.

Assignments will not be graded, and there is no formal qualification at the end of the course. However, there will be an opportunity to review with Course Tutors what you have learnt, and an opportunity to discern with the help of your Incumbent and PCC how this ministry might be developed further within the local church setting.

Commissioning at the end of the Course

On successful completion of the course, students will be authorised by the Bishop at the Celebration of Lay Ministries Service alongside the new Readers, Pastoral Workers, Parish Evangelists, and Children and Youth Leaders.

Applications

If you are interested in the course, please complete an application form (which can be downloaded from the bottom of this page)  and send it to Helen Bent by Friday 1st June 2012. Please apply early, as places will be limited.

Application Forms will be available at the Taster Evenings, downloadable from the Diocesan website, or from Helen Bent.

All applicants will have an interview with members of the Course Team to explore participation in the course. These will be held during late June and early July.

Successful applicants will receive their course syllabus and information prior to the commencement of the course.

Attachments:

File	order	Last Modified
Worship Course Nomination Form 2012-13.doc		03/04/12 10:06