September 2025 – December 2025
Learn the basics of writing prayers and choosing music for worship
services. We’ll focus on how to build worship services with a thematic
unity, and explore the theological themes that arise during the Season
of the liturgical year that follows Pentecost.
Upon completion of this unit, the participant will have:
- crafted prayers for worship that
- emerge from the participant’s spiritual practice of listening to scripture
- are based on scripture readings from the lectionary for the season of Pentecost
- have been delivered as part of worship services for which the
participant has received feedback from people in the worship service and
from other participants in the course
- reflect the United Church’s commitment to inclusive language and intercultural sensitivity
- developed an understanding (historical and theological) of the role
of prayer and music in public worship and ways to engage congregations
faithfully and creatively in worship through their prayers and singing
- chosen music that complements the prayers and scriptures of a worship service
- become familiar with theological themes related to the season of
Pentecost such as mission and evangelism, transformation, the church,
and testimony
- begun to develop a list of resources for public prayers and music resources
Orientation Webinar
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Eastern Time Date TBA
Each
Unit begins with an Orientation Session to help students become
familiar with the technology we're using for the course. This is
mandatory for new students and optional for everyone else.
Christine Jerrett and Stephen Fetter (of United-in-Learning) will introduce you to:
- how the online LLWL training program works
- Our online meeting platform
- How to post assignments and comment on each other's work
Introductory Webinar
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Eastern Time, Date TBA
This
webinar is for everyone in the course, regardless of which Learning
Group you are assigned to. It will introduce the themes and topics for
the whole Unit, and provide an opportunity to interact with a leading
thinker in the denomination. Each Learning Group will be reflecting
together on the issues that are raised in this webinar.
Guest Speaker: Alydia Smith
Alydia Smith is the Program Coordinator for Worship, Music and
Spirituality for the United Church of Canada. She has a bachelor’s
degree in Music from the University of Western Ontario with a specialist
in music history and popular culture, Learning Strategy Specialist
training from Cambrian College, a Master’s in Divinity from the Atlantic
School of Theology and a doctorate in worship from Drew University
under the mentorship of Donald Hilliard and Leonard Sweet.
Six Small Group Meetings
Small groups meet every two weeks over a 12 week span
Every two weeks students are assigned 3-6 readings, videos or podcasts. Students
will be asked to read/view these during the first week of each 2-week
section, and write a short reflection on each of these which will be
posted in a threaded discussion forum. During the second week of each
2-week section students are asked to comment on the posts of at least 2
other people in their small group.
Each 2-week section culminates with a "live" meeting on Zoom of your small group.
Meetings
times for small groups will be posted when registration opens for this
Unit. You'll be asked to select your group when you register
