The Worship Associates program is a leadership development program that focuses on the task of planning, producing, and presenting worship as a means of teaching leadership.
This is generally a three-year commitment as each team member integrates and executes more leadership (from parts of a service, to leading entire services, to leading the program itself). Along the way, each Worship Associate will learn and master theory, practice, and principles of worship. It is also the intention of the program to convey
- how to understand and work with diversity
- how to explore and illuminate meaningful ideas
- how to organize thoughts, as well as creatively organize contributions from team
- the ability to be a non-anxious, differentiated leader
- how to plan, present, and participate in well run meetings
These skills are useful in many areas beyond worship.
New Worship Associates are not necessarily chosen by “the most qualified” or those with the most experience in worship or public speaking. A key consideration is how well a volunteer complements the diversity of the team as a whole. All aspects of identity are taken into consideration: gender, age, race, class, professional experiences, culture, language, etc. The goal broad diversity with a high level of curiosity and cooperation among team members.
If you would like to apply to the program, click on the application link below (or copy and paste the link into your browser). Please direct all your questions to the Rev. Greg Ward at revgreg@uusm.org. He will be collecting applications during the month of October and contacting applicants beginning in November.
