ACOM / Study / Units / P5148C Introduction to Christian Worship

P5148C Introduction to Christian Worship

This unit introduces students to concepts that provide a basic foundation for the construction of Christian worship services.
Register Key Dates
Unit Overview

Qualification

Diploma

Unit Availability

Trimester 1 2025

Study Mode

No Facilitation, Online Facilitation

Placement

30 hours of vocational placement

Tuition

Diploma BTM Fee

Prerequisite

N/A

Corequisite

N/A

Notes

N/A

Schedule
Availability Facilitation Type Time Dates Facilitator
Trimester 1 2025 Online Facilitation 1pm – 5pm
(AEDT/AEST)		 Saturday 1 March
Saturday 22 March
Saturday 12 April		 Jess Hammond

Unit Details

This unit outlines how expressions of Christian worship have changed and adapted from biblical times through to the present day. It introduces students to a broad range of liturgical practices and provides tools for analysing their own worship experiences. Students will further be encouraged to consider the importance of issues surrounding contemporary Christian worship practices and dialogue on future possibilities.

Students will explore practical expressions of worship cited in the Old and New Testaments, plus a range of key examples from history through to the present. Students will gain appreciation for a broad range of church worship traditions while gaining insight into the distinctiveness of their own worship heritage and practices, set against the backdrop of contemporary Christian worship practices issues and dialogue on future possibilities.

At the end of this unit students will be able to:

  1. Identify the key elements of a church service of Christian worship.
  2. Outline the basic biblical, theological, cultural and historical foundations for the practice of Christian worship within a particular tradition.
  3. Compare and contrast the elements of Christian worship in a range of church settings.
  4. Select a range of worship resources for effective use in leading Christian worship.
  5. Construct a Christian worship service suited to a specific church context.
  1. Worship in the Old Testament
  2. Worship in the New Testament
  3. Theology in Worship I: Orthodoxy (doctrine)
  4. Theology in Worship II: Orthopraxy (practice)
  5. Theology in Worship III: Orthopathy (experience)
  6. History of Christian Worship and Liturgical Practices I: Early Church, Middle Ages, Reformation
  7. History of Christian Worship and Liturgical Practices II: Renaissance, Revolution and the 20th Century
  8. Current Issues in Christian Worship
  9. Contemporary Worship Cultures
  10. Processes for Delivering Worship and Liturgy in Services
  1. Reflection on Personal Worship Journey (20%)
    Word Limit: 800
    Due: Week 2
  2. Quiz (10%)
    Word Limit: 1400
    Due: Week 5
  3. Worship Traditions and Contemporary Practices Essay (50%)
    Word Limit: 2000
    Due: Week 8
  4. Plan/Report on a Worship Service (20%)
    Word Limit: 800
    Due: Week 12
  • Castleman, Robbie. Story-Shaped Worship: Following Patterns From the Bible and History. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2013.

Unit Details

Key Dates

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My studies at ACOM equipped me to be job-ready by providing the ability to complete my student ministry placement in local churches, allowing me to apply what I was learning directly to real-world situations. The practical elements of the coursework gave me the hands-on experience and confidence needed to step into ministry roles, fully prepared to make a meaningful impact.
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