Certificate of Worship Formation

Upcoming dates:
  • Module 1: June 20 – 26, 2024  in class session & June 27 – July 18, 2024 post-class reflections
  • Module 2: January 2 – 8, 2025 in class session & January 10 – February 7, 2025 post-class reflections

Program Details

Offered in two sessions, this non-credit Certificate will be offered during the IWS intensive weeks in January and June. No previous degree is required for admission, but Certificate students will have the option to switch to the Master of Worship Studies degree program for credit during their first session if they meet the master’s level admission requirements.

Although the content will be drawn from the IWS master’s level courses, readings, and assignments will be appropriately scaled for a certificate program. A dedicated mentor will work alongside each certificate cohort through the two modules. Certificate students will also share in the life of the IWS community while on campus during meals, worship, and prayer.

The Certificate is a great way for worship teams and individuals who aren’t seeking a graduate degree to enhance their formation in Christian worship, grow in community with each other, and return to their own worshiping contexts with a renewed sense of mission.

Upcoming dates:
  • Module 1: June 20 – 26, 2024  in class session & June 27 – July 18, 2024 post-class reflections
  • Module 2: January 2 – 8, 2025 in class session & January 10 – February 7, 2025 post-class reflections

Module 1

This module will explore the way in which the biblical narrative impacts both corporate and personal worship. Attention is given to the historical timeline of worship gatherings and developing a theology of worship. The student will learn how to develop habits of the heart and discover how formation occurs within the gathered community.

Module 2

This module addresses the relationship between spiritual formation and worship, particularly as related to theology and contextualization. The class takes a wide-ranging look at the practices of spirituality through the lenses of worship, thought art, architecture, and society. The student will continue the discovery of how to develop habits of the heart and how formation occurs within the gathered community.

Course Objectives

  1. Be able to articulate the biblical evidence for worship as participation in the Gospel Story.
  2. Be able to articulate a simple timeline of the history of Christian worship, especially as it relates to the student’s own context.
  3. Develop a theologically and biblically sound sensitivity to the role culture plays in formational worship, especially with respect to the student’s own context.
  4. Develop a deeper understanding of the way worship is formative within the context of a gathered community.
  5. Develop strong habits for practicing worship in the student’s own relationship with the Triune God.
  6. Pursue corporate and personal worship with a renewed passion for transformation into Christlikeness.

What is the difference between the Master of Worship Studies Degree & the Certificate of Worship Formation?

The Master of Worship Studies is an ATS accredited, Master’s level degree designed for ministry professionals or volunteers. 

The Certificate of Worship Formation provides an overview of worship renewal, with an emphasis on lay leaders or volunteers who desire to enhance their own personal growth and contribute to the worship ministry of their own community.

Which program is right for me?

 

Master of Worship Studies 

Certificate of Worship Formation 

Why should I apply?

Seeking an accredited Graduate Degree in Worship Renewal 

Seeking Personal Growth in Worship Renewal through a non-credit certificate

What education level must I have?

Holds a minimum of Bachelor’s Degree 
(in any field) 

Holds a minimum of High School Diploma (some post-secondary education is welcome) 

Do I need to hold a position in a ministry in the local church or a Christian organization?

Fulltime/Part Time/Volunteer 

Position in Worship Ministry 

An active member of a local church  

What are the ministry expectations?

Capacity to earn Field Experience 

Has the authority to implement change for worship renewal

Desires to contribute to local church through own personal development

What are the academic expectations? 

Master’s level reading, writing, and research/students interact with professors and fellow students throughout the duration of the degree 

Primarily of a reflective nature/the student is assigned a mentor for the duration of the certificate

What is the time commitment?

Students attend a minimum of four on-campus intensive weeks/which can be completed in two years

Students attend two on-campus intensive weeks in a calendar year/complete reflective papers & discussion posts within one month/completed in less than a year

Is Financial Aid available?

Yes! 

Get details here.

No

What is the cost of the program?

Certificate Cost Details
Tuition per Module $600
Meals per Module $290
Total per Module $890
Total Certificate Cost $1,780