Certificate of Worship Formation

IWS is pleased to announce the launch of our new program, the Certificate of Worship Formation beginning with the January 2024 session!

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’s 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.

Program Details

Module 1 – A Biblical Theology of Worship
The first module will explore the concept and practice of worship in the Old and New Testaments. Students will be taught a biblical theology of worship that takes into account the variety of biblical materials related to worship.

Module 2 – Contextualization, Spirituality, and Christian Worship
The second module will address the relationship between spiritual formation and Christian worship. Course material examines cultural trends in theology, philosophy and epistemology. The centerpiece of the course is a wide-ranging look at ancient and emerging practices of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation through the lenses of worship, thought, art, architecture and society.