CRISWELL COLLEGE
SPRING 2016 Syllabus
MIN 426 L00.A Topics in Ministry: Music and Worship in the Local Church
Contact Information: / ; office by appt.
Semester: / Spring 2016
Day/Time: / Thursday, 4:15p-6:45p Room E208
Course Description: / MIN 426—A detailed study of selected topics in Christian education, leadership, missions, preaching, pastoral ministry, or worship leadership. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic studied differs. This course is open to undergraduate Junior and Senior students.
Specifically, this course will examine worship as formation, congregational singing, Gospel liturgy, the role of music in the church, music ministry, and an overview of worship theology and history.
Course Objectives: /
- Students will be able to articulate an understanding of a biblical theology of worship.
- Students will be conversant in worship practices in the contemporary local church.
- Students will understand worship as a formative practice for the people of God.
- Students will experience the diversity of liturgies in the evangelical church in America.
Text: / •Rhythms of Grace: How the Church’s Worship Tells the Story of the Gospel by Mike Cosper
•A Royal “Waste” of Time: The Splendor of Worshiping God and Being Church for the World by Marva Dawn
•Holy Scripture: ESV
Course requirements and evaluation procedures:
- There are five writing assignments during the semester.
- Essays: Four writing assignments will be 3-5pgs in length on topics related to worship and the local church. These assignments will incorporate the material under study in the course and experiences you have in local church worship. You will be required to visit churches in your area and write about specific topics presented to you during the semester. Grade: These four writing assignments will comprise 60% of your final grade.
- Research Project: The research project will be the largest project for this course. You will be required to research a topic related to music/worship and the local church. A handout will be presented during the second class meeting, as well as discussed. The scope and length of the project will differ based on undergraduate and graduate enrollment. Grade: The research project will comprise 30% of your final grade.
- Course Participation: 10% of your final grade will be determined by class participation. You will be evaluated on your preparedness for each class meeting—prior reading of course material and handouts—and your input in class discussion. You will be given a status report after each quarter detailing your participation and preparedness for each class—essentially, assigned a letter grade with feedback from the professor on your participation in the course.
Attendancepolicies:
Absences
Since class participation is vital to learning, absences should be taken only when absolutely necessary. More than three (3) absences for block classes will result in a grade of “F” for the courses. The professor and the Vice President of Academic Affairs must approve all exceptions to this policy. Proportionate absences apply to all other terms (winter and summer terms, etc.). Students are responsible for all absences due to illness or any other reason. Granting of excused absences is permitted at the discretion of the professor.
Tardies
Missing more than fifteen (15) minutes at the beginning or end of a class period is considered one absence. Three instances of tardiness of fifteen minutes or less equals one absence. The tardy student is responsible for notifying the professor of his/her presence in writing at the end of class. Students who wish to depart early should clear it with the professor.
Grading scale:
The significance of letter grades is as follows:
A97-1004.0 grade points per semester hour
A-93-963.7 grade points per semester hour
B+91-923.3 grade points per semester hour
B 88-903.0 grade points per semester hour
B-86-872.7 grade points per semester hour
C+83-852.3 grade points per semester hour
C 80-822.0 grade points per semester hour
C-78-791.7 grade points per semester hour
D+75-771.3 grade points per semester hour
D 72-741.0 grade point per semester hour
D-70-710.7 grade points per semester hour
F 0-690.0 grade points per semester hour
The following grade symbols are also recognized for transcript evaluation:
AU Audited CourseCRCredit
EXExemptIIncomplete
NCNo CreditPPassed Non-credit Course
RCRepeat CourseSSatisfactory Progress
WWithdrawnWFWithdrawn Failing
WPWithdrawn Passing
NOTE: An “I” will be changed to an “F” 60 calendar days after the close of the term or semester in which the “I” was awarded, if the course work is not completed by the stated date published in the Academic Calendar.
Incomplete grades:
Students requesting a grade of Incomplete (I) must understand that incomplete grades maybe given only upon approval of the faculty member involved. An “I” may be assigned only when a student is currently passing a course and in situations involving extended illness, serious injury, death in the family, or employment or government reassignment, not student neglect.
Students are responsible for contacting their professors prior to the end of the semester, plus filing the appropriate completed and approved academic request form with the Registrar’s Office. The “I” must be removed (by completing the remaining course requirements) no later than 60 calendar days after the grade was assigned, or the “I” will become an “F.”
Institutionalpolicies
Academic Honesty:
Absolute truth is an essential belief and basis of behavior for those who believe in a God who cannot lie and forbids falsehood. Academic honesty is the application of the principle of truth in the classroom setting. Academic honesty includes the basic premise that all work submitted by students must be their own and any ideas derived or copied from elsewhere must be carefully documented.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
• cheating of any kind,
• submitting, without proper approval, work originally prepared by the student for another course,
• plagiarism, which is the submitting of work prepared by someone else as if it were his own, and
• failing to credit sources properly in written work.
Learning Disabilities:
In order to ensure full class participation, any student with a disabling condition requiring special accommodations (e.g., tape recorders, special adaptive equipment, special note-taking or test-taking needs) is strongly encouraged to contact the instructor at the beginning of the course or if a student has a learning disability, please inform the professor so assistance can be provided.
Auditing and Sit-in Students:
Any student may enroll in a course as an Auditor or Sit-in as long as the class is below capacity. A student’s permanent transcript will reflect which courses have been completed as audits. Sit-in students are not given grades by professors and their transcripts will not reflect enrollment in the course. Taking tests and participation in course activities are afforded to credit students in the syllabus and is at the discretion of the professor.
General:
Students participating in courses through Distance Education, whether with or without live interaction, must complete the academic requirements for those courses with the integrity and commitment necessary to participate in and benefit from all of the exercises provided by the professor for learning the subject matter of the course. Therefore credit for Distance Education courses is the same as credit for courses taken on campus.
Library:
Distance education students can access information about Criswell College’s Wallace Library at The Wallace Library manual is available at
Student Life:
Students needing educational support or services should contact the Student Services at 214-818-1332 or .
Video and Other Intellectual Property Rights:
Unless otherwise specifically instructed in writing by the professor, students must neither materially nor digitally reproduce materials from any course offered by Criswell College for or with the significant possibility of distribution.
Course Outline
Day / Topics/Assignments / -ReadingJan 21 / •Course Introduction & Syllabus Review
•Introduction to Music and Worship in Local Church
Jan 28 / •Worship Theology Introduction
•Being Shaped Into the People of God: The Community in Worship / •Rhythms of Grace: pp. 25-60
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 21-36
Feb 4 / •The Gospel and/in Worship
•Worship and Contemporary Culture
•Research Project Discussion
•Writing 1 Assigned (due Feb 11) / •Rhythms of Grace: pp. 61-72
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 88-106
Feb 11 / •The Audience and Aim of Worship
• Thesis Statements Due
•Writing Assignment 1 Due / •Rhythms of Grace: pp. 73-90
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 149-158
Feb 18 / •Worship as Spiritual Formation
•Worship as Community Building / •Rhythms of Grace: pp. 91-104
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 178-185
Feb 25 / •Historical Overview of Worship in the Church
•The Individual in the Corporate
•Bibliography Due
•Writing 2 Assigned (due March 3) / •Rhythms of Grace: pp. 105-116
•Handout Given in Class Feb 18
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp.186-193
March 3 / •Introduction to Liturgy
•Overview of Historical and Contemporary Liturgy in the Free Church
•Liturgy as “Rhythms of Grace”
•Writing 2 Due / •Rhythms of Grace: pp. 117-150
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 296-313
March 10 / •Worship and Liturgy in the Modern Church
•Research Project Outline Due / •Rhythms of Grace: pp. 117-150
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 296-313
March 17 / Spring Break—No Class
March 24 / •Music: Style and What is “Right”
•Writing 3 Assigned (due March 31) / •Handout Given in Class March 10
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 314-324
March 31 / •Why We Sing
•Writing 3 Due / •Rhythms of Grace: pp. 151-168
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 277-284
April 7 / •The “Nuts and Bolts” of Worship in the Local Church: Examination of Local Church Music Ministry / •Handout Given in Class March 31
April 14 / •Structuring Worship: Planning and Organizing Worship
•Writing 4 Assigned (due April 21) / •Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 296-313
April 21 / •Art and Architecture in Worship
•Writing 4 Due
•Optional Rough Draft Due / •Handout Given in Class April 14
April 28 / •Music and Text / •Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 314-324
May 5 / •The Pastor as the Head Worship Leader
•Worship and Missional Community
•Research Project Due / •Rhythms of Grace: pp. 25-60
•Royal “Waste” of Time: pp. 333-343
May 12 / Final Exam Week