Worship Musician Magazine September 2020 | Page 46

HIGHER EDUCATION TO BE, OR NOT TO BE… A STUDENT? – PART 2 | Alex MacDougall Because of Covid-19, church musicians and worship leaders have now logged-in 6 months perfecting Shakespeare’s dramatic expression of soliloquy. We’ve had a lot of time to think and think out loud what our futures hold. What’s in store for us as musicians? How can church music leaders regain that admirable practice of leading the congregation in song and into His presence? When will physical church services be fully functional again? Many churches have entered the world of limiting the size of congregations allowed to assemble, and sometimes exclusively streaming their worship services. Is online church our new norm? In a world of social distancing, some areas of the country are not allowed to sing out loud because of state-mandated rules trying to contain the spreading of the virus. I think we can all agree that this is not what we signed up for. In my July Worship Musician article, I noted that worship musicians and leaders should not immediately dismiss the notion of a higher education, and that there are many good options to continue an education during this season. After all, we’ve got plenty of time on our hands to do so. I’ve been extremely fortunate to teach at Dallas Baptist and Trevecca Nazarene Universities over the past decade, as well as lecture multiple times at Baylor University. So many Christian universities, colleges, seminaries and institutes offer terrific programs for your growth in worship leadership. Just off the top of my head, the West Coast has Cal Baptist, Azusa Pacific, Biola, and Western Seminary. And further East, Judson, North Central, and Lee Universities offer fantastic training and academics, as does the renowned Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have excellent training and resources available. And there are many additional schools that can be added to my above list. One school in particular, The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida, also offers exceptional and specialized programs for ongoing development in your ministry calling. President James (Jim) Hart oversees this extremely reputable center of learning. Years ago, I was fortunate to meet and participate in many meetings with Dr. Webber. He was a prolific author and oracle on the subject of “worship”. He edited the invaluable Complete Library of Christian Worship. In 1998 he founded the accredited Institute for Worship Studies. Does the idea of a move across country sound overwhelming to you? Distance learning (online classes) are now available from so many schools and make it convenient for you to pursue and equip your life’s calling from wherever you call home. The personal restraints brought on by the Coronavirus try all of us but it’s smart to plan for what’s next, whatever our “next” may be. Read. Listen. Watch. Learn, Discuss. Pray. Grow. We can all do that for ourselves, and for the Church. So, let’s utilize this time staying safe, wisely serving others, wisely developing our craft, and wisely pursuing the next step in our calling. Alex MacDougall Former member of Daniel Amos (DA), Larry Norman Band, Randy Stonehill Band, and the Richie Furay Band. He’s also worked with Andrae Crouch, Bob Bennett, Phil Keaggy, and hundreds of additional artists and projects. He serves as an Adjunct Professor, teaching in Music Business at Dallas Baptist University and Trevecca Nazarene University’s National Praise and Worship Institute, in Nashville, TN. Alex is available for lecture, teaching, and conference workshops. [email protected] 46 September 2020 Subscribe for Free...