WRSP 840 Current Trends and Transitions in Christian Worship

Today’s evangelical church is witnessing numerous shifts in philosophy, methodology, and theology related to worship. The resulting trends establish what appears to be positive adjustments for the worshiping community. However, not every change is thoughtfully vetted and carefully developed. Additionally, new positions of influence in the church have been recognized: the worship artist and songwriter. The responsibility of these positions should not be underestimated, as congregants often learn their theology from the lyrics of songs more than from the points of the pastor’s sermon. With the recognition of gifted musicians, artists, and songwriters, the church leadership must also recognize and emphasize the imperative of theological grounding of these servants of Christ and, further, encourage the stability of the body of Christ through theologically grounded songs for worship. The transitions that permeate the Evangelical Church culture in the twenty-first century should be studied and evaluated to determine the value, necessity, and wisdom of such changes.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

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 discussion. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to at least 2 classmates’ threads. While there are no required word counts, students normally write between 250 and 300 words for the original thread and 150 words for the replies. There are no required citations. 

Optional Live Discussions may be offered for this course. Should the student choose to attend a Live Discussion, the student will need to download a free version of Microsoft Teams (this is available in Canvas). A link with instructions on how to download and use Microsoft Teams is included under the Resources header for each Discussion.

Using the Turabian Chart of Citations as a guide, the student will create sample footnotes and bibliography samples for each of the textbooks for the course. The student will also create a footnote and bibliography entry for a journal article and course lecture, as well as provide a sample parenthetical citation for a Scripture reference. This assignment provides preparation for the detailed formatting work required in other course assignments. The final submission should include 12 quotes.

In this assignment, you will identify a specific change that needs to be implemented in your local church ministry. Based on insights gained thus far in the course, you will craft a 3 to 5-page transitional plan (excluding title page and bibliography) that identifies the change, lists 3 reasons why the change is necessary, and incorporates a strategic transitional plan to implement the change. This paper should reflect insights gained from course materials be supported with at least 3 scholarly sources. Turabian formatting is required.

The total page count (title page, transitional plan content, and bibliography) for this assignment should not exceed 7 pages.

Position Paper Assignments (3)

In the Position Paper Assignment, the student will write a 5-page maximum (excluding title page and bibliography) position paper providing an argument for the integration for or against assigned topics. As the student crafts his/her paper, he/she should include opposing opinions, and then offer his/her views, supporting them with scholarly sources and the Bible. A minimum of 3 sources in addition to the Bible are required.  

Turabian formatting is required, including a title page, properly cited sources, and a bibliography page.

The total page count (title page, position content, and bibliography) for this assignment should not exceed 7 pages.

Research Paper Assignment

For this assignment, the student will write a research paper on one of the topics discussed in the course. This paper will demonstrate the student’s understanding of Current Trends and Transitions in Christian Worship. For this assignment, the student will write a 10 to 12-page research-based paper in current Turabian format with footnote citations to support research, discussion, and analysis, as well as a plan for application in the local church. The paper must include a Bibliography of 10–15 references, including the course textbooks and the Bible.  Turabian formatting and academic excellence in writing are required. 

Quiz: Turabian Formatting

The student will review the Turabian Sample Paper found through the link to the Turabian Format Quick Guide and provide responses to 15 multiple-choice and true/false questions to exhibit understanding of the requirements of Turabian formatting in written assignments. The quiz will be limited to 50 minutes and allow 1 attempt.