Introduction to Worship Studies – WRSP 101

Course Description

Designed to provide an understanding of worship in the local church and para-church ministries, this course is an overview of the need for theologically sound, biblically-based worship in the evangelical church. Emphasis is given to the reason the church worships, the impact of Old and New Testament worship, the relationship between music and worship, the principles for biblical worship, the task of discipling worshipers, principles of evangelism through worship, and the use of worship in promoting the mission and purpose of the local church.

Rationale

Many churches place an emphasis on the importance of worship. Yet, to some extent, there is an incomplete understanding of what worship is and what it involves. The practice of worship is both private and public. Those who desire to worship and lead worship need a biblical and historical basis as a foundation. From this foundation, the worshiper and worship leader can better develop a lifestyle of worship that includes evangelism, discipleship, service, and ministry.

Course Assignment

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each thread. Each thread must demonstrate course-related knowledge while also sharing experiences as related to class concepts. In addition, the student is required to reply to at least 2 classmates. (CLO: C, D) (CIL: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Reading Reflection Journal Assignments (3)

The student will write a journal entry based on assigned chapters of Worship: The Ultimate Priority by John MacArthur. The journal entry should consist of five sections: Notable Quote, Citation, Bibliography, Main points (one from each of the assigned chapters), and Reflection. The journal entry should conform to the format of the template provided and should be written in a semi-formal, grammatically correct narrative style. (CLO: B, D) (CIL: 1, 2, 3, 4)

The purpose of the Worship Devotional Project is to practice communicating important principles of worship. Over the course, the student will develop a devotional related to the core content in the class. The phases of the project are as follows:

• Worship Study: Planning Assignment – For this assignment, the student will complete a worksheet to prepare for writing the devotional.
• Worship Study: Devotional Assignment – For this assignment, the student will develop a devotional, utilizing the information from the Worship Devotional Planning Assignment worksheet and worship principles from selected modules. (CLO: A, B, C, D) (CIL: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Hymn Project Assignments (2)

In this project, the student must research the biographical history of 2 hymns chosen from the list provided. There are 2 parts to this project:

• Hymn Project: Research Plan Assignment – the student will complete a worksheet detailing which 2 hymns were chosen, who the authors/composers were, and a bibliography with a minimum of 5 sources.
• Hymn Project: Research Presentation Assignment – The research project (in the form of a PowerPoint presentation) will consist of an introduction; brief biographical overview of the author of the lyrics; brief biographical overview of the composer of the music;  interesting facts pertinent to the selected hymns; related Scripture; contemporary worship song that aligns in theme with each hymn; and a conclusion.
  
  The presentation must include a minimum of 5 references. The bibliography will be formatted according to Turabian standards and must follow the format of the provided template. (CLO: A, C, D) (CIL: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned Module(s): Week(s). Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 25 multiple-choice and true/false questions, and have a 45-minute time limit. (CLO: A, B) (CIL: 3)