Scroll down to get information about:

  • Expectations of Student Participation in Worship Planning and Leadership—with survey responses needed by August 15.
  • Opportunities to volunteer to serve in worship during Prolog Week—with survey responses appreciated by August 15.
  • Opportunities for final year M.Div. students and MADM students in their final year of classes to preach in chapel—with first preaching dates assigned by August 15.
  • A brief summary of how chapel planning teams work—including some changes this year to improve your experience!

 

WORSHIP PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS

Worship planning and leadership are both a privilege and a responsibility for degree students at Wartburg. We are, after all, a worship-centered community, with chapel services every day, Monday through Friday, throughout each semester. We need you to help us live out that commitment.

 

Assigning Students to Chapel Planning Teams:

Most residential and DL M.Div. and MADM students will be assigned to serve on a chapel planning team and help lead worship at least once per semester.

· All DL students who will not be on internship during fall semester 2023 are asked to respond to this very short survey no later than August 15: Chapel Participation (41-80)

We realize that some of you have work or other schedule issues that make it impossible to attend chapel or chapel planning meetings. This survey will help us avoid scheduling you and/or allow us to make an alternate scheduling arrangement for those of you who cannot participate in the usual post-chapel planning meetings on Mondays and Thursdays.

· CL students, MA students, and non-degree students are not expected to participate but may choose to volunteer by responding to this survey: Chapel Participation (41-80).

· Interns: Students are not expected to help plan or lead worship when on internship. This includes residential, CL, DL, MADM, and MDiv interns.

· Residential students: Residential students will be assigned to chapel planning groups at least once per semester.

Students will receive a Lectionary and ROTA (a list of the Bible texts for each day along with assignments to chapel planning teams) for Fall Semester before the semester begins.

 

PROLOG WORSHIP MUSICIANS AND VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Do you want to help with worship music, a procession, or other leadership during Prolog Week? Volunteer using this survey: Prolog Week Chapel Leadership. We will let you know when and how you’ll serve by August 22, and we’ll try to send choir music ahead of time so you can practice.

 

STUDENT PREACHERS FOR MONDAY CHAPEL SERVICES!

Final Year M.Div. Students and any MADM Students in their last year of classes who have (or will have) taken a preaching course are invited to preach in chapel on a Monday in either fall or spring semester. Please be sure to list all the dates that could work to help us schedule as many students as possible. Final-Year Preaching Sign-Up. We’ll begin assigning preaching dates no later than August 15.

 

HOW CHAPEL PLANNING TEAMS WORK

· Before the semester begins, you’ll receive a list for the entire semester of what Bible texts are assigned for each day and who is assigned to each chapel week. We call this the Lectionary and Rota.

· New step to help teams plan more effectively! About 3-½ weeks before your chapel week begins, a chapel sacristan will e-mail you to (a) ask which days you’re able to help lead chapel, (b) invite you to read a few Bible texts and be prepared to share ideas about the texts and/or music ideas at the first chapel planning meeting, and (c) begin praying for your chapel planning team.

· About 2-½ weeks before your chapel week begins, after Monday chapel, you’ll meet in the sacristy or online with several members of chapel staff, the faculty or staff member who is coordinating the week, and other students assigned to your chapel planning team. The team will spend about 30 minutes talking about ideas, sorting out who will have leadership roles each day, and assigning tasks to members of the chapel planning team.

· During the next 1-½ weeks, you’ll work together with some of your team members to finish planning for the services, planning the liturgy, choosing music, etc.

· New and improved agenda for second planning meeting! One week before your chapel week begins, after Thursday chapel, the chapel planning team will meet again. Worship plans will be completed by this meeting. Our time will be spent ensuring everyone is on the same page, questions are answered, and that each member of the team is confident in leading worship.

· During your chapel week, worship leaders will attend a walk-through the day before they lead (in the chapel or online), and on-campus worship leaders will select albs to borrow and wear.

· On the day you lead, a sacristan will pray with that day’s worship leaders just before chapel begins. Then you’ll joyfully and confidently lead chapel for the day!