As a worship arts major at Grace College, you’ll be equipped to think like a theologian, labor like an artist, and shepherd like a pastor in any worship setting.
Our worship arts centers on Christ and His Word’s command to “sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16) to God and one another. Music contains an edifying, teaching element that you’ll learn to use in serving, encouraging, and exhorting the Church body.
As a worship arts major, you’ll explore the way Scripture and Church history have treated worship. Your courses will also instruct you in practical worship leadership skills, such as choosing songs and holding auditions and rehearsals.
An introduction to the Pentateuch and the Historical Books of the Old Testament with special reference to background, historical setting, literary composition, theology and message. After successfully completing this course, the student should be able to demonstrate a knowledge of background issues which introduce one to the study of various concepts of the Old Testament, the historical milieu of each Old Testament book studied, the purpose and general content of each Old Testament book studied, the use of the Old Testament in modern ministry, and the foundation the Old Testament provides for the New Testament. Three hours.
An introduction to the Poetic and Prophetic books of the Old Testament with special reference to background, historical setting, literary composition, theology and message. After successfully completing this course, the student should be able to demonstrate a knowledge of background issues which introduce one to the study of various concepts of the Old Testament, the historical milieu of each Old Testament book studied, the purpose and general content of each Old Testament book studied, the use of the Old Testament in modern ministry, and the foundation the Old Testament provides for the New Testament. Three hours.
This course introduces the New Testament with special reference to background, historical setting, literary composition, theology, and message. After successfully completing this course, the student should be able to demonstrate a knowledge of background issues which introduce one to the study of various concepts of the New Testament, the historical milieu of each New Testament book studied, the purpose and general content of each New Testament book studied, the relationship between the New and Old Testaments, and the use of the New Testament in modern ministry. Three hours.
Designed to give the musical worship leader a basic knowledge of music fundamentals, this course is balanced around written theory, ear training, and keyboard proficiency. Focus will include basic music notation, scales, tonality, keys/modes, intervals, and chords. Prerequisite: placement or permission of instructor or program director. Three hours.
A continuation of Music Theory Fundamentals with strong emphasis on diatonic triads, writing melodies, and part writing. Ear training and keyboard proficiency will also be included. Prerequisite: WMU 1300. Three hours.
A continuation of Music Theory I with strong emphasis on harmonic progression and part writing. Ear training and keyboard proficiency will also be included. Prerequisite: WMU 2600. Three hours.
A continuation of Music Theory II with strong emphasis on part writing, cadences, non-chord tones, and modulation techniques. Ear training and keyboard proficiency will also be included. Prerequisite: WMU 3100. Three hours
Students study and implement strategies for successful planning in worship arts ministry. Emphasis will be given to aspects of biblical leadership, pastoral ministry, and business administration. Topics include scheduling, working with volunteers, budgeting, vision development, worship team dynamics, and long-term ministry growth plans. Three hours.
This course provides an historical overview of Christian worship. Historical traditions and current trends of worship ministry will be studied, including music styles and the broader role of the arts in the local church. The interaction between worship and today’s culture will also be addressed. Three hours.
This course is a study of the biblical and theological aspects of worship. A wide spectrum of Christian traditions will be studied as well as the relationship of personal to corporate worship. Emphasis will be given to understanding how the patterns of worship found in the Bible affect every aspect of the worship service. Three hours.
Presentation of a corporate worship service representing significant research and creative endeavor during the academic year preceding graduation. Presentation projects must be approved by the program director, department chair, and faculty adviser. Program notes must be submitted to and approved by the program director prior to the presentation. Students are responsible for assembling the necessary team to execute the live event (musicians, speakers, etc.). Prerequisites: completion of major course requirements and approval of department chair. Three hours.
Performance development encompasses a wide variety of practice and performance experiences including co-curricular opportunities such as ensembles and worship teams. Performance development experiences may include choir, gospel choir, wind ensemble, string ensemble, or worship teams.
See WMU 2001 (Lab 1); WMU 2002 (Lab 2); WMU 3001 (Lab 3); WMU 3002 (Lab 4); WMU 4001 (Lab 5); WMU 4002 (Lab 6). Labs 1-6 required for major; Labs 1 and 2 required for minor. Weekly practice hours assigned by the instructor
Performance development encompasses a wide variety of practice and performance experiences including co-curricular opportunities such as ensembles and worship teams. Performance development experiences may include choir, gospel choir, wind ensemble, string ensemble, or worship teams.
See WMU 2001 (Lab 1); WMU 2002 (Lab 2); WMU 3001 (Lab 3); WMU 3002 (Lab 4); WMU 4001 (Lab 5); WMU 4002 (Lab 6). Labs 1-6 required for major; Labs 1 and 2 required for minor. Weekly practice hours assigned by the instructor
Selected topics in Worship Music offered on an as-available basis. Content includes research, field experience, and a music product. Three hours.
Advanced level synthesis in performing, developing, producing, or presenting worship arts content or forms. Cross-discipline or community integration would result in performing arts evidence utilized in a final portfolio or public presentation. Prerequisite: permission of program director. Three hours.
Students apply knowledge gained from Theory I and II, learning different approaches to using scales to improvise over chord progressions. There will be a focus on blues and jazz styles as well as contemporary music. Students will learn to transcribe solos from recordings. Prerequisites: WMU 2600, WMU 3100, and WMU 4100. Three hours.
This advanced level worship performance or worship production-based research course focuses on an individual topic selected by the student. Prerequisite: completion of major course requirements, approval of research proposal, and permission of program director and department chair. Three hours.
Students will explore the various dynamics that converge to produce maturity in the life of a Christian. They will seek to construct a theory of spiritual formation based on a practical knowledge of God, a realistic awareness of self, a full-orbed understanding of pertinent scriptural insights, and a historical perspective of various approaches to spirituality. They will examine the necessity of the integration of the individual pursuit of spiritual maturity with the corporate dimension. The approach of the course will include practical application along with classroom discussion and outside research. Prerequisite: BIB 2010. Three hours.
This course examines the basic elements of contemporary music composition including form study, melody/lyric construction, and harmonic/rhythmic patterns. Each student will receive instruction in various musical styles with specific emphasis on worship songs for the local church. Three hours.
Introduction to the technological resources basic to work in the Worship Arts environment including lighting, audio, and video. Includes hands-on experience with MIDI and sequencing, music notation programs, desktop publishing, digital sound formats, as well as basic lighting design and video shooting/editing. Prerequisites: WMU 2600 and WMU 3100. Three hours.
Worship leaders and directors need to have a basic understanding of how all the instruments function in a worship team. Focus is on the elementary principles of playing keyboard, voice, guitar, and percussion. Emphasis is on development of tone production of each instrument, as well as transposition and the capabilities and limitations of each instrument. Prerequisites: WMU 2600 and WMU 3100. Three hours.
An internship served under the guidance of an experienced and qualified worship arts leader in an approved church music program. Prerequisite: permission of program director. Three hours.
This introductory course will help students discover basic understandings, motives, and methods for successful missionary work. Practical subjects such as good and bad reasons for going into missions, departure from and reentry into one’s own culture, entering a new culture, and choosing a mission field will be discussed. Basic skills for God’s work in another culture will be introduced. Theological and strategic foundations will provide a conceptual understructure for further studies in intercultural missions. Three hours.
The Cross-Cultural Internship is for a minimum of 14 weeks (one semester) in a second culture. The internship itself is for six hours of academic credit. While in the host context the student will complete two campus courses (BBL3090 Spiritual Formation and MIS2100 History of World Missions) for three hours of credit each. These two courses will be taken by distance education with the supervision and grading of the professors on campus.
In this course the backgrounds and development of the missions enterprise from the apostolic period until the present will be analyzed with a view to discovering the benefit to the intercultural task before us today. A proper understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in this endeavor is emphasized. To give the student a good grasp of present-day major movements, significant current trends in missiological thought and practice will be examined. Prerequisites: MIS2010. Three hours.
Students will examine the principles and processes of communicating effectively with people from a second cultural context, whether in multi-cultural U.S.A. or in other countries. The course will investigate functional perception and how cultural worldview, beliefs, and values affect it through the personal perception of each individual. Students will explore how the shaping of the message, the style of communication, and the use of communication networks help to penetrate different cultures with the gospel. Dangers of ethnocentrism and its effect on the cross-cultural communication process will be discussed. The principles examined are valuable for intercultural relations in any field of work. Prerequisite: MIS2010. Three hours.
The nature of man and how his culture affects him are explored with a view to how this, in turn, affects ministry in intercultural contexts. Worldview assumptions and resulting values, beliefs, behavior, and attitudes are studied as to how they affect the person in his perception and understanding of the physical and spiritual world around him and, ultimately, his understanding of the Gospel. Social organization is examined as to how it affects ministry strategy, and the nature of culture change is investigated with a view to evangelism. Prerequisites: MIS2010. Three hours.
The course is an introductory study of cultural traditions, belief systems, and practices of world cultures as approached through the analysis of the music of different ethnic groups. Various worldviews are examined through comparison with biblical and theological concepts. The course will examine folk, art music, and contemporary genres in a variety of cultures, as well as music as an expression of cultural worship and its use in missions and ministry. Three hours.