Leading Worship: Building Confidence and Capacity as Lay Leaders
Résumé de section
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Course Overview
Welcome to Leading Worship: Building Confidence and Capacity as Lay Leaders. This course is designed to help you become a more confident and effective worship leader. It's designed for lay leaders who want to create a meaningful service that engages and connects with their congregation. Throughout the course, you'll gain practical advice, a theological foundation, and hands-on exercises that cover everything from selecting scripture and music to writing prayers. In the following video (4 min) John Borthwick, Director of Ministry Forum, further welcomes you to the course.
Learning Outcomes:
After completing this workshop participants will be able to-
Articulate their own context for ministry and the unique challenges and opportunities in that place.
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Outline the order of worship and how all the elements fit together, in relation to the reformed tradition.
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Reflect on strategies to lead with renewed energy and confidence and a greater awareness of the resources that are available.
What to Expect:
- There are 7 modules that make up this workshop. Each module will take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete. Module topics include:
- Introduction
- Understanding Your Context for Worship Planning
- What Is Worship?
- An Overview of the Order of Worship
- Choosing Scripture
- Writing Prayers
- Choosing Music
- Each module include opportunities for you to reflect on new learnings and/or practice what you've learned in short ungraded practice activities.
- Some modules also include discussion boards, where you can interact with others going through this program.
- A discussion forum will be available for you to introduce yourself to others taking the workshop before moving on to the 7 modules that make up this workshop.
About Ministry Forum
Ministry Forum is a space where faith, community, and leadership converge. We are a vibrant and inclusive online platform hosted by Knox College, University of Toronto, dedicated to serving current and aspiring Christian ministry leaders. Our community is as diverse as the ministries we represent, encompassing students, alumni, pastors, psychotherapists, chaplains, and those passionate about spreading the Good News in whatever ministry context they find themselves.
Our identity is rooted in the belief that ministry is not a solitary journey; it's a collective effort. We are a fellowship that values authenticity, fosters connections, and celebrates diversity. Here, you'll find a safe space to explore, share, and grow in your faith, leadership, and ministry.
Our mission is to empower ministry leaders to thrive. We do this by curating valuable resources, facilitating thought-provoking discussions, and offering spaces to gather both online and in person. Through recommended reading, podcasts, the curation of lifelong learning opportunities, and much more, we hope to provide our community with a wealth of insights to enhance their ministry.
We also believe in the power of personal connection. Our Director, John, would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your ministry context. With 25 years of ministry experience himself, he strives to be a good listener, a trusted advisor, and someone who values maintaining confidentiality. We also believe that Ministry Forum will thrive in the community that surrounds it - to that end, we need your suggestions, ideas, and expertise to shape our content and priorities.
Contact John Borthwick, Director of the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Know College john.borthwick@utoronto.ca
Need Help?
If at anytime during your learning experience, you need help, please contact us at hello@ministryforum.ca
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Meet Your Instructor: Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
Sarah is the Associate Professor and the Ewart Chair in the Practice of Ministry and Faith Formation at Knox College. She is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and has served congregations in Guelph and Norval, Ontario. Her primary areas of research are preaching, worship, and the practice of ministry. From decolonizing worship practices to trauma-informed preaching, Sarah has published several books aimed at facilitating a conversation among Christians about topics that matter to the church today.
Contact Rev. Dr. Travis sarah.travis@utoronto.ca -
Please feel free to utilize this discussion forum to introduce yourself! Share:
- Your name
- Your church
- What you hope to learn from this course
- How you hope to use what you learn in the course in your congregational setting.
Instructions: To add your introduction, select the Introduce Yourself title link above and select the Add discussion topic button. You are encouraged to comment on at least two of the other introductions — get to know each other!
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Help us better understand your background, motivations, and expectations for the course by completing this 3 minute pre-course survey.
Instructions: To begin the survey, select the Pre-Course Survey link above and then select the Answer the questions button.
Note: You will be asked to complete an end-of-course survey upon completion of this course.
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Please feel free to utilize this discussion forum to ask any question you may have while navigating this learning experience. Someone from our team will get back to you.
Instructions: To add your question, select the title link above and select the Add discussion topic button.
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The following video (6 min) Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis will introduce you to Lay Worship - what it is and how you may find yourself within that role.
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Printable Worksheet
This printable worksheet includes notes, reflection questions and overviews for all modules. You are highly encouraged to download it and use it as you navigate through the modules.
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Introduction
There are various forms of context that influence worship, including cultural, theological, and geographical. In the following video (6min) Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis discusses the role context plays in worship and how the importance of inclusivity and language in worship settings.
Content
Pause and Reflect
Take
a moment to pause and reflect on your context and what it looks like. Consider
the language used for God and people. Think about diversity in your
congregation. Consider the geographic location and the architecture of your
building. How do these two things shape the worship experience?
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In the discussion forum, create a post discussing your context for worship and answering some of the reflection questions.
Reflection Questions:
- What works and doesn’t work in your context?
- What is expected in your context?
- What is preferred in your context?
Instructions: To add your thoughts, select the title link above and select the Add discussion topic button. Feel free to respond to someone else's post as well!
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Introduction
In the following video (20 min) Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis dives into worship. She discusses who worship is for, what it can look like, and what it is. Many often associate worship with Sundays, but worship can happen any day of the week, anywhere, with a group, or individually. Dr. Travis also dissects the 10 core convictions about worship as outlined by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.
Content
Knowledge Check
Instructions: Read the question carefully and select the best answer from the given choices.
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Want to Learn More?
Visit the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Under the Find Resources tab, check out their media resources as well as the resource library. This would be a good source to return to build your confidence and capacity for leading worship.
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Padlet Activity: Worship and Reconciliation Reflections
Use the Padlet below to share a couple sentences about what stood out for you in the content of this module. Did anything surprise you about the 10 Core Convictions about worship? How can you apply Dr. Travis’s ideas about reconciliation to your worship setting?
How to add to the Padlet: Select the plus (+) icon and choose how to add your comment (text, video, audio, images, etc.). Feel free to add your name to your post, otherwise you will remain anonymous.
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Introduction
There are a variety of approaches that can be taken in terms of worship. In the following video (8 min), Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis discusses the traditional Four Fold Order of Worship, which begins with The Gathering, followed by The Word and The Response to the Word, and concludes with The Sending. At about the five minute mark of the video, a popup will appear. Select it to participate in a short practice activity that will test your understanding of The Four Fold Order of Worship.
Content
Knowledge Check
Instructions: Match the items by dragging and dropping them into the correct categories.
Traditional Order of Worship Example
- Prelude
- Opening Hymn/Praises
- Land Acknowledgment
- Call to Worship
- Prayer of Approach/Adoration
- Prayer of Confession
- Assurance of Pardon
- Prayer of Illumination
- Scripture Readings
- Sermon
- Sacraments of Baptism/Communion
- Prayers of Thanksgiving
- The Offering
- Closing Hymn
- Charge and Benediction
Pause and Reflect
Take
a moment to pause and reflect on the order of worship that is most familiar to you. Why do you do it the way you do? Do you know why?
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In the discussion forum, create a post (just a few sentences) discussing your context for worship and answering some of the reflection questions. After you've posted your reflection, read other responses and offer your thoughts.
Discussion Questions:
- Does the order of worship you follow help people encounter God? Why or why not?
- Does the order of worship you follow help people move from despair to hope?
- How could you improve the experience for the people to achieve these things?
Instructions: To add your thoughts, select the title link above and select the Add discussion topic button.
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Introduction
In the following (10 mins) video, Rev. Dr. Sara Travis explains how to choose and present scriptures in worship, covering the use of the Revised Common Lectionary, context, and the communal nature of scripture.
Content
Pause and Reflect
Take a moment to pause and reflect on a time when you or your congregation faced a challenging situation (e.g., a local tragedy or a significant event). How might you choose a Scripture in response to that event?
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The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly lections used to varying degrees by the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches in Canada and the United States. The RCL is built around the seasons of the Church Year, and includes four lections for each Sunday, as well as additional readings for major feast days. During most of the year, the lections are: a reading from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a Gospel reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew Bible lection is usually replaced with one from the Acts of the Apostles. The lections from the Hebrew Bible are sometimes chosen from the Apocrypha.
The seasons of the Church Year reflect the life of Christ. Consequently, the gospel lections for each Sunday provide the focus for that day. The other lections for a given day generally have a thematic relationship to the gospel reading for that day, although this is not always the case. In Ordinary Time, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two sets of readings for the lessons from the Hebrew Bible. One set proceeds mostly continuously, giving the story of the Patriarchs and the Exodus in Year A, the monarchial narratives in Year B, and readings from the Prophets in Year C. In the other set of readings for Ordinary Time, the readings from the Hebrew Bible are thematically related to the gospel lections. Denominations or local churches generally use either the semicontinuous readings or the thematic readings during Ordinary Time. They do not typically move back and forth between the two over the course of a single season.
The gospel readings for each year come from one of the synoptic gospels according to the following pattern:
- Year A - Matthew
- Year B - Mark
- Year C - Luke
Readings from the Gospel of John can be found throughout the RCL.
Read more frequently asked questions about the Revised Common Lectionary
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The Narrative Lectionary is a four-year cycle of readings. On the Sundays from September through May each year the texts follow the sweep of the biblical story, from Creation through the early Christian church.
The texts show the breadth and variety of voices within Scripture. They invite people to hear the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the prophets, Jesus, and Paul. Listening to the many different voices within Scripture enriches preaching and the life of faith.
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Knowledge Check
Instructions: Read the statement carefully and choose True if the statement is correct or False if it is incorrect.
Want to Learn More?
Explore how Touch Holiness can deepen your congregation’s worship experience. This collection offers theologically rich, liturgically sensitive resources that encourage creativity while respecting human diversity and the call for justice. Featuring alternative lectionary readings, a Service of Thanksgiving for Christian Dying into Life, intercessory prayers, and much more, it provides valuable tools to enrich worship and support your church community. With contributions from over fifty voices across many local churches, these resources invite your congregation to engage.
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Introduction
In the following (10 mins) video Rev. Dr. Sara Travis explains how to lead prayers in worship, covering different types of prayers and emphasizing simplicity, context, and extemporaneous prayer.
Content
Knowledge Check
Instructions: Match the items by dragging and dropping them into the correct categories.
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In the discussion forum, create a post answering one or all of the reflection questions below.
- How do you feel about praying in worship?
- What are your areas of strength and weakness?
- What are your growing edges?
- How do you feel about praying extemporaneously?
- How do you feel about using other people’s prayers?
Instructions: To add your thoughts, select the title link above and select the "Add discussion" topic button.
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Review the prayer examples in the workbook. You will also be able to see examples in the submission area. Choose one category of prayer and write your own.
Instructions: Click on the assignment, then click the "Add submission" button, upload your work and click "Save changes".
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Introduction
In this video (8 min), Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis explores the importance of music in worship, emphasizing the need for the theology of worship music to align with the congregation’s beliefs, the value of collaboration in music planning, and the role of music in setting the tone and theme for worship. .
Content
Knowledge Check
Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word (from the two options provided in bold) to complete the paragraph about the role of music in worship.
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In the discussion forum, create a post of just a few sentences responding to one or all of the questions below about your experiences with worship music. After you've posted your reflection, read other responses and offer your thoughts.
Discussion Questions:
- As a worship leader, what challenges do you face when choosing music, and what opportunities do you see in the process?
- How do you help the congregation feel more involved in worship music?
- What’s one worship song that has had a deep impact on you?
- What tools or resources help you discover and choose worship songs?
Instructions: To add your thoughts, select the title link above and select the Add discussion topic button.
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Want to Learn More?
Explore valuable music resources from The Presbyterian Church in Canada. These resources will support your worship planning and provide guidance on copyright and licensing.
Hymn Database Search Page: Search for hymns from the **Presbyterian Book of Praise 1999**, included in the PCC commentary on copyright.
Copyright for Music Resources: Learn about music licensing, CCLI, live streaming, and copyright considerations for worship.
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Using the resources and the skills you’ve learned so far in the course, create an outline for an upcoming worship service at your church.
- Consider your context
- Create the order of worship
- Pick the Scripture
- Write prayers for each aspect of worship
- Choose appropriate music for the service
- Submit your worship outline for feedback and post it in the forum
Instructions: To submit your outline, select the Create a Worship Service Outline link above, select the "Add submission" button, upload your work and click "Save changes".
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Post Your Worship Outline In the Padlet
Once you've completed the worship outline assignment, use the Padlet below to post your submission in the Padlet for feedback from others in the course. Read through other submissions and feel free to give feedback.
How to add to the Padlet: Select the plus (+) icon and choose the upload option to submit your assignment. Feel free to add your name to your post, otherwise you will remain anonymous.
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Now that you've completed the Lay Worship Workshop, we'd love your feedback! Your insights will help us improve the course each year.
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The following pdf is a curation of books, articles, online databases, and resources to help you as you plan and prepare worship services. Thank you to Laura Alary from Caven Library and McKay Resource Centre at Knox College for preparing this list.
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