Program Highlight: Worship Ministry
by Jennifer Poling
Bachelor of Arts in Worship Ministry student
intern with theExperience College Internship
There is a presumption that surrounds the idea of worship ministry; that those who are involved in the ministry are something like rock stars. But what if I told you that at the core of it all, those involved are some of the most humble believers I have seen? Worship is not simply getting on stage on Sunday mornings, picking up a guitar, stepping up to the microphone, or playing chords on a piano. Worship is much more. Worship is about being in the presence of the Lord; leading people to bring their gifts and talents back to the Lord in sacrificial service. Worship is a posture of the heart. It extends further than rehearsal and the weekend experiences. We were all created to worship. Paul wrote in Romans 12:1 (ESV): “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.“
Being a worshipper does not depend on the quality of our voice, how well we can pluck the strings on a guitar, or even how creative we are with piano chords. It is a posture of the heart and a continuous outpouring towards the Lord.
Worship is being with the Lord. Draining out who we are and then becoming filled on who God is. Worship can be anywhere you choose it to be. In the car on the way to work, in the grocery store picking up milk, or even in your living room late at night. It is about the “being,” the posture of the heart, rather than the “doing,” with the talent of our hands. This is where humility comes in. Humility can be seen as knowing yourself in totality. Knowing how your gifts, knowledge, and what you bring to the table affect others and then using them to then benefit. Positioning your heart so that you are confident in your skill but you make it about God. That is worship. Leading people into the presence of the Lord, being with the Spirit, but never making it about yourself.
Worship is about God.
The Worship Ministry programs at Manna University equip students with that principle in mind. Not just offering training for our gifts and talents to improve, but also, giving opportunities for our character to be sharpened and the posture of our heart to be challenged. Through the help of instructors and practical opportunities, students become leaders. Leaders who are empty before the Lord so that they can in return be vessels for the Spirit to minister through their giftings to those around.
