- Class attendance-
- Student is to be present, to be on time, and to actively participate in class discussion.
- See EBC attendance policy.
- Required Reading-
- Student will read assigned reading(s) before the day listed in the class schedule.
- Short quizzes will be given on these days covering the assigned passages.
- Please note that the required reading may or may not be on the same topic as the class material.
- However, the student is responsible for this material on the midterm and final exams (both the textbook and Scripture passages).
- Hyperlink to Course Schedule
- Hyperlink to Liesch Textbook Study Guide
- Weekly problem papers-
- Each week the student will write a one-page paper (200-300 words [double-space please]) discussing one of the following problem situations:
- a) You are the senior pastor. The church is beginning to incorporate small group meetings in addition to Sunday morning services. You have asked the worship leader to oversee that worship happens in the small group meetings. He then asks you what you wish to accomplish in the worship portion of the small groups, and how (if at all) this is different from the purpose of Sunday morning worship time.
- b) You are a youth pastor. A parent of one of the youth approaches you and is very upset at the music that their child is listening to. They ask you to speak to their child. What to you say to the youth? To the parent?
- c) You are a fan of the Beach Boys. While in a store purchasing a Beach Boys CD, you are approached by an older member of your church. They begin to inform you that you can’t listen to that CD because good Christians do not listen to ‘secular’ music and they are concerned about your backsliding. How do you respond? How would your response be different if the CD was instrumental jazz instead of Beach Boys?
- d) You are the senior pastor. A group of committed Christian young people from your church forms a punk band. You attend one of their performances. The show is a mix of covers of current punk tunes, current tunes with their lyrics changed to reflect Christian themes, and original songs, some with Christian lyrics and some with other lyrics. After the show, as you are approaching the band, they are confronted by another Christian who tells them to quit playing the devil’s music and start playing godly music. What do you do or say?
- e) You are the worship leader. At different times, members of the congregation have approached you and informed you that they don’t like the direction the worship is taking. They want to return to the classic hymns and organ. They say such things as “This new style isn’t really worship”, or “Why are we copying the world’s music.” Meanwhile other members of the congregation have asked you to throw out the organ completely and start using modern music. They say, “That old music smacks of stale religion.” And “I can’t invite my unsaved friends because the music turns them off to Christ; It makes them think God is boring.” What do you do? What do you say to each group?
- f) You are the youth pastor. Steve has been attending youth group for about 3 months. Last month Steve got saved. Today he approached you and asked if he could play bass in the youth worship band. He also asks if his brother John who is not a Christian could play drums. They are both excellent musicians and you have been praying for a bassist and drummer because you desperately need them. What do you tell him?
- g) You are a parent. Your teenage daughter is an excellent singer. She sings in the choir at church. She also sings with a band formed by her friends at school. Only one of them is Christian and they sing old blues tunes and classic rock. What do you say or do?
- The student may address any question on any given week but must answer all questions at least once.
- As there are more weeks than questions, some problems will be addressed more than once.
- Each paper will be marked on its demonstration of student’s interaction with course material and application to the question.
- NOTE: It is extremely important to remember that the goal of this assignment (and the basis for grading) is NOT just responding to the question or solving the problem. I want you to learn from the course material and grow from this interaction. This calls for a higher level of learning. The best way is to find ways to apply the course material. Therefore, these questions are just opportunities to internalize and apply course concepts and demonstrate that you have done so.
- Students may draw upon any material covered up to that point either in class or in the course texts.
- The paper should address three issues:
- First, based on the course material, describe the central issue or problem in the situation.
- Secondly, describe what you have learned in the course that would apply to this issue.
- Finally describe how you would approach the situation based on your previous discussion.
- Each problem paper will begin with a header containting the following information:
- Name
- Date
- Problem Situation #
- Scripture Memorization-
- Students will memorize five Scripture passages over the term, two for the midterm and three for the final exam.
- For the Midterm-
- Psalm 33:2-3,
- John 4:23-24
- For the Final-
- I Corinthians 14:26,
- Colossians 3:16,
- Revelation 5:11-12
- The students will memorize the following passages verbatim from the NIV translation (including punctuation).
- Students will then write out from memory the passages on the respective exams.
- Worship Critique-
- Choose an event at which worship is present as part of the service.
- These may include regular church services or special events.
- They, however, may not include events in which peers are in charge of or play a significant part of the worship (i.e. EBC chapel worship).
- Write a critique on the worship segment of the service.
- The critique will be at least 500 words (1-2 pages typed)
- and will include discussion on the following criteria:
- a. The name of the church and the date visited
- b. a brief recital of the activities that made up the worship service (list everything, including greetings, announcements and offering, etc.)
- c. song selection- Make a list of all the songs used. Were the songs fitting to the service? Were they old or new? If new, how did the service attendees pick up the new songs?
- d. spiritual impact- How was the depth of the worship? Did it make an impact on you? Was there evidence of impact on others? Were there any spiritual gifts manifested (if so, how was it handled)?
- e. a description of what (in your opinion) was good about the service and why it was effective or appropriate
- f. a description of what (in your opinion) could have been better about the service and why it was ineffective or inappropriate
- g. and finally, a few suggestions for improvement.
- You may comment on any aspect of the service, spiritual, musical, cultural, etc.
- Do not begin this assignment until after week 5 so as to have enough tools for the assignment.
- Do your best not to be disruptive in any way by taking notes during the service.
- Be sensitive to the other people in the congregation.
- Finally be gracious in the way that you make criticisms.
- Be honest and accurate, but careful in the way that you state your conclusions.
- Worship Critique is due Friday March 5
- Midterm exam-
- Final exam-