There has been an observable shift in recent years in the roles of worship leaders or those involved in worship ministry. Beyond the traditional expectation to select and lead songs each week, cultural tensions and contemporary life (including the reality of a pandemic) have reshaped congregational worship and the work of worship leaders.

In this cohort, you’ll learn to understand your vocation in a new and deeper way. You’ll grow in addressing the emotional and psychological wounds of the people you serve. You’ll improve your ability to plan worship structures that lead people through spiritual transformation. You’ll stretch your ability to be sensitive to the particularities and diverse backgrounds that make up your congregation’s life. You’ll ground your efforts in deep theological thinking and the rich traditions that define your denomination. And finally, you’ll strengthen your skills in making the artistic, technological, and musical choices that allow you to speak well to the worshiping community in our current world. In community with worship leaders from all over the United States, you’ll have the opportunity to encourage each other and learn deeply from one another.

The curriculum, shaped from extensive research funded by a Calvin Institute for Christian Worship grant, offers six essentials for well-formed worship leadership, as well as two additional topics addressing the current cultural context. Each lesson will begin with a brief video introduction from instructors followed by supplementary material. Lessons will also include thought exercises and practical assignments to incorporate what you learn into your own church worship contexts. The cohort’s weekly themes are listed below.