Philosophy of Ministry
The purpose of STS Worship is to proclaim the Word of Christ (Col. 3:16), week in and week out, through biblical, theologically rich, Gospel-centered singing, for the glorification of God and for the edification of our students. This is the motivating philosophy that undergirds our entire worship ministry: from song selection to student participation, and everything in between.
STS Worship exists primarily for the glorification of God, and secondarily for the edification and encouragement of our students. Along with the teaching time and small group discussion time, our Sunday morning worship time is one of the primary ways that we communicate the truth of God’s Word to our students. The songs that we sing week to week will inevitably form their theology and worldview, and therefore it is of the utmost importance that we select songs which are thoroughly biblical. Though all corporate worship arguably involves some instructive element, we place special emphasis on the catechistic function of singing, as we undertake the twofold task of evangelizing and discipling these students, most of whom are young in their faith.
For this reason, although we should strive to sing and play with excellence, and while we hope that the songs that we sing each week would become familiar to our students, the necessity for theologically-rich and thoroughly biblical lyrical content trumps all other considerations when it comes to song selection. Songs should be selected primarily for how effectively, clearly, and robustly they communicate the truths of scripture. Melodies and arrangements can be altered as we wish, but the words that we sing with our students are far more significant than whether a tune is catchy. We have seen students come to know and love the songs that we sing, even when they did not know these songs when they were first introduced.
Wednesday Night Meetings
*** Special Note: As of May 22nd, 2024, our Wednesday Night Meetings will be suspended indefinitely, therefore no new student volunteers will be onboarded to serve on the STS worship team at this time. ***
On Wednesday nights, we meet in the Loft from 4:30 - 6:00. The primary aim of these Wednesday night meetings is to train our student volunteers, both those who are currently serving on the team and those who are prospective members. We not only focus on developing our students’ skills as musicians, but we help them to develop a Biblical understanding of worship, and what it means to serve the body of Christ with reverence, humility, and love. For this reason, our time together on Wednesday nights consists in equal parts of fellowship, music, and study. A typical Wednesday night schedule is as follows:
4:30-5:00: Dinner in the STS Cafe
5:00-5:30: Worship Rehearsal in STS Loft
5:30-6:00: Worship Discussion in STS Offices
This discipleship time consists of a book study or Bible study, a discussion time, and prayer. In our Wednesday night discussions, we have often explored the meaning of worship and its purpose in the life of the believer as revealed in Scripture. We have also discussed the purpose of our Sunday morning worship, and what it looks like to approach this role with reverence, sincerity, humility, and submission to the Lord. Our Sunday morning worship is not a performance, nor is it intended to entertain or “hype up” our students. Rather, it is the exaltation of our Lord in recognition of his glorious attributes and works. These are the truths that we have sought to instill in our students as we train them to think biblically about worship.
In addition to providing us with a discipleship touchpoint and an opportunity to train our students to think biblically about worship, Wednesday nights also provide our students with opportunities to play together, to expand their repertoire, to get comfortable playing on stage with microphones and with a PA system, and to sharpen their musical abilities. Furthermore, the students are able to build relationships with one another and with their leaders, and it is in the context of these relationships that effective discipleship happens.
Onboarding Process
In keeping with our philosophy of ministry, which prioritizes theological substance over musical excellence, our onboarding process does not consist solely of an audition in which the student’s abilities and musical talents are assessed for readiness. Rather, our onboarding process is designed to train and equip our prospective volunteers as we evaluate them for their readiness over the course of several weeks. This process of integrating new volunteers into the STS worship team begins by inviting the student to regularly attend our Wednesday night worship team meetings.
As they attend our Wednesday night meetings, prospective student volunteers are given the opportunity to play with our current volunteers right away. They will get practice playing on stage, in an ensemble, and through a PA system. Meanwhile, we are able to evaluate their playing ability and readiness. Most importantly, the prospective students are able to participate in our discipleship time and join our discussions as we consider how to think biblically about worship.
After a prospective student has demonstrated an earnest commitment to attending Wednesday night meetings, and they have attended eight meetings, they will be assessed for their readiness. If at that time, the STS staff determines that the student is ready, they will be asked to join the worship team on Sunday mornings as a student volunteer. This does not guarantee that they will be scheduled every week (scheduling decisions are made according to instrumentation, schedules, and availability, which differs from week to week), but they will be added to our roster of volunteers and occasionally requested to serve. If the STS staff determines that the student is not yet ready to serve on Sunday mornings, they will be asked to continue attending Wednesday night meetings until they are deemed ready, and will be clearly notified of any expectations that must be met before they are deemed ready.
Our intention behind this is not to discourage students, but it is out of respect for the leadership position to which we are calling them, and out of love for our students, and an earnest desire to invest in their sanctification. We believe that carelessly placing a student in a leadership role where they don’t belong, or for which they are not yet ready, is not only harmful for our ministry, but is harmful for the student. Below is a brief list of the qualities that we expect to find in a student volunteer:
They can articulate a reliable profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and this profession is demonstrated by fruitful, prayerful, and penitent living and an earnest commitment to grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord.
They possess an earnest desire to serve the body of Christ with their gifts, and can articulate what it means to do this with reverence, humility, and love as a student leader among equals.
They are considered to be a role model among their peers, and do not present any concerning signs which would dissuade us from calling them to a position of servant leadership before their peers.
They are a committed attendee of The Church of the Apostles and STS.
They are at least 14 years of age.
Any interested volunteers or questions concerning STS Worship can be directed to Noelle Falkowski - nfalkowski@apostles.org.