Category: Reflections

Worship Online?

A Reflection from Women’s Leadership Initiative MDiv Student Andrea Huffman

I remember being flabbergasted when Central announced that our Worship Leadership course would be online. “How do you learn to lead worship online?” my classmates and I asked incredulously. We had been attending Central for three years, and half of our classes met in person while the other half took place over Zoom. Up to this point, all of our classes on ministry practice had taken place in person.

I never could have guessed how that worship class—as well as my years at Central—would have prepared me for this moment in time. I am on staff at a church in Liberty, MO, and as I look back over recent events, it appears as if my church didn’t even skip a beat. Not only did we take our worship services virtual, but we adjusted them according to my experiences in that worship class: we utilized new, visually-appealing locations, we invited participation through commenting, and within a week we had trained Sunday school teachers and moved their classes onto Zoom—a platform that I alone was familiar with, only because of my time at Central.

Central taught me that while the roles of the minister are timeless, the methods for ministry are multiple, varied, and ever-changing. Central encouraged us as ministers to be creative, flexible, and responsive to the world around us. I’m so grateful Central prepared me for such a time as this!

For some of that responsive creativity, click the picture below!