A new option in the Christian Ministries department will give Bryan students a broad foundation in leading worship in church or ministry opportunities.
Mr. Jeff Eenigenburg, assistant professor of Christian ministry and director of worship arts, explained that the term “worship arts” describes “the use of a variety of art forms to respond to God and engage in worship. The goal is a deeper life of worship through the use of various art forms and expressions of our devotion to God.”
Beginning this fall, Christian ministries majors will have the option of concentrating in worship arts, in addition to the current Christian leadership, pastoral ministry, and youth ministry tracks. “The Christian ministries department is trying to resource churches with people with a servant’s heart and skill in various capacities,” Mr. Eenigenburg said. “This program will concentrate on musical expertise and expose students to other art forms that can be used in worship.”
In addition, students will study a biblical theology of worship; how to use technology components that are becoming more and more pervasive in church; develop an understanding of how music and culture interact; and gain hands-on experience, through leading worship in chapel and completing internships in churches.
“Students will cultivate skill in music, with classes roughly equivalent to a music minor, but they will also be familiar with other art forms and learn how to lead other artists in a variety of worship expressions,” he said.
The program has been added because of interest expressed by current and prospective Bryan students and because of the regular calls from churches looking for staff members with these skills, he said. “In many cases, churches are employing worship leaders without well-rounded training and finding some limitations. We hope this option can fill in some of those gaps,” Mr. Eenigenburg said.
While there are similar programs at other colleges, Bryan’s will be one of the first in the southeast, he said. The course of study is made up of nine new classes designed for the program, with the balance of the requirements made up of classes such as Christian theology, music, history, and communications.