The Art of Worship
Weekly Formation Rhythm
Each week you will be required to:
- Read assigned texts from two learning strands: Worship Foundations and Leadership & Creativity.
- Complete weekly assignments.
- Engage with an album, film, or other piece of art related to each week’s topic or theme.
- Listen to the Sound + Doctrine podcast or another approved podcast.
- Practice a skill in your unique area of gifting (writing, singing, preaching, public speaking, media, etc.).
- Submit a weekly spiritual journal reflecting on Scripture engagement, podcast listening, personal heart awareness, and current relationships. Journals will be assessed for faithfulness, thoughtfulness, and gospel-centered reflection and will be a primary tool in your spiritual coaching.
- Meet with a spiritual coach once every eight weeks for prayer, reflection, encouragement, and accountability. These meetings will help you process what you are learning, discern patterns of growth and concern, and identify next steps for growing as a faithful worshiper and leader.
These rhythms are designed to cultivate Scripture-shaped understanding, gospel-driven affections, and skills in leadership and creativity.
Required Reading
- Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God – Bob Kauflin
- A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love – Milton Vincent
- Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace – Williams and Bizup
- Family Worship: In the Bible, In History, and In Your Home – Donald Whitney
- Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do – Paul Tripp
- Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament and Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal – Mark Vroegop
First Quarter (September – October)
Foundations for Worship
- Week 1: The Glory of God and the Necessity of Praise
- Week 2: The Heart of Worship: Knowing & Loving God
- Week 3: The Worship Leader
- Week 4: Learning to Behold
- Week 5: The Spirit and the Word
- Week 6: The Centrality of Singing
- Week 7: The Grand Story of Scripture
- Week 8: Cherishing God’s Presence
- Week 9: Leading People in God’s Presence
Lead Yourself
- Week 1: Class Introduction
- Week 2: Knowing Your Core Values
- Week 3: Distilling Your Life Principles
- Week 4: Crafting Your Personal Mission Statement
- Week 5: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
- Week 6: Choosing What You Focus On
- Week 7: Articulating the Gospel
- Week 8: Emotionally Healthy Leadership
- Week 9: Determining S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Spiritual Coaching Check-In
Second Quarter (November – January)
Principles for Leading Worship
- Week 10: Leading with Expression
- Week 11: Staying Rooted and Relevant
- Week 12: Worship as Proclamation and Evangelism
- Week 13: Worship that is Artful, Authentic, and Accessible
- Week 14: The Beauty of the Body: Worship Across Cultures
- Week 15: Liturgies: Cultivating Habits of Worship
- Week 16: Liturgies in the Home
- Week 17: Prioritizing People
- Week 18: God’s Design for the Church
Principles for Communication
- Week 10: Body Language as Speech
- Week 11: Principles of Clarity (Accessibility)
- Week 12: Establishing a Sense of Need
- Week 13: Simplicity and Redundancy
- Week 14: Principles of Beauty (Artfulness)
- Week 15: Principles of Passion (Authenticity)
- Week 16: Communicating Joy and Wonder
- Week 17: Communicating Care
- Week 18: Understanding Learning Styles
Spiritual Coaching Check-In
Third Quarter (January – April)
A Journey Through the Psalms
- Week 19: Introduction to the Psalms
- Week 20: Worshiping to Awe and Adore
- Week 21: Worshiping to Bring Our Need
- Week 22: Worshiping to Lament (Part 1): The Value of Lament
- Week 23: Worshiping to Lament (Part 2): How to Cultivate Lament
- Week 24: Worshiping to Remember
- Week 25: Worshiping to Confess (Part 1): A Humble Leader
- Week 26: Worshiping to Confess (Part 2): Corporate Confession
- Week 27: Worshiping to Hope
- Week 28: Worshiping to Grow
- Week 29: Worshiping to Rest
- Week 30: Worshiping to Call for Justice
- Week 31: Worshiping to Intercede
- Week 32: Worshiping to Praise
Skills Workshops: Basic Musicianship
- Week 19: The Beauty of Music and Line
- Week 20: Acoustics and Tuning
- Week 21: Group Project Planning Session
- Week 22: Rhythm and Meter
- Week 23: Intervals and Chords
- Week 24: Group Project Planning Session
- Week 25: Basics of Arranging and Balance
- Week 26: Keys and Scales
- Week 27: Group Project Planning Session
- Week 28: The Value and Dangers of AI and Social Media
- Week 29: Playing in a Band
- Week 30: Supporting the Melody
- Week 31: Group Project Planning Session
- Week 32: Changing Keys
Skills Workshops: Sound & Audio
- Week 19: Why AV Matters and the Fundamentals of Sound
- Week 20: Acoustics and Tuning
- Week 21: Group Project Planning Session
- Week 22: The Basics of Rhythm
- Week 23: The Basics of Pitch
- Week 24: Group Project Planning Session
- Week 25: Basics of Arranging and Balance
- Week 26: Understanding EQ
- Week 27: Group Project Planning Session
- Week 28: The Value and Dangers of AI and Social Media
- Week 29: Intro to AV Tools and Troubleshooting
- Week 30: Understanding Signal Flow and Compression
- Week 31: Group Project Planning Session
- Week 32: Tools for Creating Space (Panning, Reverb, Delay)
Other Workshops
- Creative Writing
- Public Speaking
- Children’s Ministry
- and more…
Workshops will be determined yearly based on the needs of our students.
Summer Project
Participants will complete a summer project that puts what they learned into practice. Working together as a team, they will plan a strategic event that addresses an area of need through God-focused worship. This project will require teamwork, shared vision, and a skillful blending of their gifts. Example Projects: Writing and Recording a Song, Hosting a Children’s Day Camp, Leading a Community Outreach, Crafting a Worship Gathering, etc.
