Masters in Worship

Beginning in Fall 2019, the Worship specialization will be available both as a Master of Arts and Master of Divinity degree.

During the last few decades the Worship Pastor or Director of Worship or Worship Leader has become an essential position within the ministry teams of local congregations. In response to this expectation, a flood of individuals have taken their places in service to local congregations.

In recent years, a growing cry has come from local congregations for worship leaders who are deeper and wider, that is, for worship leaders who have a growing understanding of the church, a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ, and a fully deployed set of gifts. This cry has been accompanied by a growing awareness on the part of Worship Leaders for development in their understanding of worship, spiritual formation, and competencies.

The Masters in Worship responds to that cry. In this program, we seek to develop deeper and wider worship leaders who as growing disciples of Jesus Christ realize the difference between great concerts and the great commission, a great show and a great shepherd, gigs and growth, tours and tears, commitment to fans and commitment to family.  In the end, we hope to send graduates throughout the world who, as leaders of worship, shape the way the world worships.

Partnership

This program represents a partnership with the 10,000 Fathers Worship School led by Aaron Keyes in Atlanta, Georgia. For over a decade, the 10,000 Fathers Worship School has offered worship leaders an alternative to a contemporary worship culture that is more about being professional than prophetic, to worship services that are more about production than presence, and to worship leading that is more about tours than tears. The 10,000 Fathers Worship School hopes to raise up an army of men and women who are gifted to lead worship, equipped to do so with theological soundness, convicted to grow in both character and competency, and committed to doing it all for the goal of making disciples. In order to participate in this program of study, students must apply to BOTH the 10,000 Fathers Worship School and to the Masters in Worship program through Northern Seminary.

Philosophy

This program encourages students to build professional development into the rhythm of their lives and, for thirty-six months, dedicate that slice of life to the life-transforming experience of earning an advanced degree. It is hoped that such an approach will allow the students to enjoy, absorb, and apply the experience to life and ministry.

Model

This program affirms the value of mentoring, peer accountability, friendship, and life together as disciples towards personal and professional development. Hence, 20-30 students form a cohort and progress together for 36 months as a community of disciples.

Delivery & Schedule

This program will utilize multiple channels in addition to traditional classroom instruction. Classroom instruction will take place in both Atlanta, Georgia and Lisle, IL. The supervised ministry or internship component will utilize real-time face-to-face communication. Some Northern courses will be taught through real-time face-to-face classrooms (Live Streaming), and still others through one-week intensives.

MA Course Layout

*Master of Divinity students will complete these Worship specialization courses as well as the other Master of Divinity requirements.

Christian Heritage Core Courses

• OT 301 The Pentateuch
• OT 302 The Former Prophets
• NT 301 Jesus and the Gospels
• NT 302 Paul’s Letters and Acts
• CH 301 Early & Medieval Christianity
• CH 407 American Church History
• TH 301 Christian Theology I
• TH 302 Christian Theology II
• TH 303 Theology of Church and Culture

Worship & Supervised Ministry Courses Delivered in Partnership with 10,000 Fathers

• WO 440 The Character of the Worship Pastor
• WO 442 The Craft of the Worship Pastor
• WO 444 The Influence of a Worship Pastor
• WO 446 The Worship Pastor as Communicator
• SM 301 Formation for Christian Ministry
• SM 401 Internship I
• SM 402 Internship II
• SM 501 Integrative Seminar

Click here for an updated Progress Report.

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