In this installment of “Working in the Vineyard,” Pray Tell presents the Center for Worship and the Arts, in a conversation with Rev. Nelson Cowan, Ph.D., the Center’s director, and other members of the Center.
Describe your mission and vision. How do you fulfill your mission during a time of such rapid change in our churches and in our world?
Mission: The Center for Worship and the Arts (CWA) equips congregations to engage intergenerational and artistic worship practices that glorify God, honor Christ, and join the transformative work of the Spirit in the world.
Vision: We are working to secure a prominent role in the conversation of worship and the arts locally, regionally, and nationally. While CWA shares common goals with centers and institutes on campus, in the region, and around the United States, our work with congregations to bridge the gap between worship ministry and youth ministry is unique. Through programs, research, and scholarship, we are creating a national platform for conversations about the relationship between youth ministry and worship ministry.
We are an ecumenical organization housed within Samford University (a historically Baptist institution) that wants to see young people thrive as the creative leaders God has called them to be. Congregations that invest in their young people (and ministries with young people) are better poised to form worshipers who remain connected to the Church in their adult lives. We believe the arts are an easy entry point for young people to lead in the church, be it music, dance, graphic design, drama, drawing/painting, creative writing, preaching, filmmaking, etc. Our programming motivates both adult ministry leaders and young people to flourish at the intersection of worship and the arts–for the glory of God, for the good of the Church.
We invite you to spend three minutes watching our mission and vision come alive in this brief video.
How long has the CWA been around? Tell us about the founding vision and what your main work is.
The Center for Worship and the Arts (CWA) was founded in 2013 and is based at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. With startup funding from the Christ Is Our Salvation (C.I.O.S.) Foundation, the Center initially developed Animate, a programmatic initiative for young people exploring a-vocational, bi-vocational, and vocational possibilities in worship and the arts. As Animate continued to demonstrate promise as its flagship program, the Center began expanding its scope in tandem with continued funding from C.I.O.S. and through securing multiple grants from Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Our main programming is built upon the four pillars of worship, theology, the arts, and young people. Check out our website here: www.samford.edu/worship-arts.
Who is your audience?
Our audience consists of pastors, worship leaders, youth leaders, other ministry leaders, Samford University students, faculty, staff, and alumni, our partners within the Lilly Endowment, Inc. network to which we belong, as well young people at churches throughout the Southeast.
Follow us on social media: www.instagram.com/samfordcwa and www.facebook.com/samfordcwa.
What is the most important contribution the CWA is making to the life of the church?
Our flagship program is called “Animate,” which is a week-long summer program in worship and the arts for teenagers and their adult mentors. It is intergenerational in its orientation, with opportunities for corporate worship in various traditions and expressions, practical training across all art forms, small group discipleship, FaceTime with accomplished musicians and visual artists, and lots of food and fun. The week culminates in the “Festival of Worship,” where students plan, design, and lead a brief ecumenical service of worship for their peers. Animate is a high-impact week where the mission and vision of the Center is on full display.
How does research fit into your work?
Our directors, Dr. Nelson Cowan and Dr. Emily Snider Andrews, have been conducting qualitative research with young people to build out insights related to liturgical participation. Some of the themes we’ve been exploring relate to the liturgical flexibility of teenagers, as well as with how teenagers grapple with liturgical difference (spoiler alert: they’re much more flexible than adults!). They have presented their findings at the North American Academy of Liturgy and at Societas Liturgica. This ongoing research will lead to a variety of publications in academic and pastoral journals.
In addition to Animate, what are some other programs you offer?
We offer Worship Exchange Forums and Events, which are quarterly opportunities for ministry leaders to gather, network, and learn from key experts and thought leaders at the intersection of worship and the arts.
We also have our Faculty Fellows and Engaging Worship programs, both of which are mechanisms for the creation of resources—academic, creative, practical—utilizing the faculty and staff of Samford University and other key partners.
Worship Innovation Cohorts – Here’s the heart of our cohort program in a nutshell: An intergenerational group, united by a common goal, working together toward an attainable project that strengthens their ministry—for the glory of God, for the good of the Church. It includes the three pillars of (1) an intergenerational group; (2) a common goal; and (3) an attainable project. The project itself must be focused on worship and the arts. The CWA supports the cohort with robust funding for their project, as well as a large stipend for cohort participants to attend Animate. As we tell the congregations, “If you can assemble a small group of people, we’ll help you imagine the project and walk alongside you in reaching your goal.”
May God prosper your work!
This interview was conducted by email.