Our Philosophy

Mission Vision Core Values Strategy

Question, Feedback, or Contribution? Contact the team.

A detail of Andrei Rublev's icon of the Trinity.

Mission

As a part of the TWU Student Ministries department, the mission of TWU Prayer, Arts and Worship Ministries is to exalt the Triune God through biblical, Christ-centred worship and prayer, and to inspire people to pursue a lifestyle of worship that glorifies Him in thought, deed, word and attitude.

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Vision

Our vision is a united community treasuring Christ above all. We provide a welcoming, engaging and thoughtful venue in which every community member has the opportunity to experience the manifest presence of God within the pursuit of his or her vocation. Our worship is an opportunity to center our work and study within the context of devotion to God, through Christ, by the Spirit.

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Core Values

Five core values drive the chapel program: Adoration, Transformation, Vocation, Participation, and Incarnation.

  • Adoration: Trinitarian Worship shaped by the Story of Jesus Christ.

In song and spoken word, posture and silence, Biblical worship glorifies the Triune God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Biblical worship therefore reflects and proclaims God's eternal welcome, God's delight, God's unity in love and purpose, God's revelation of Himself in history through Creation, Election, Judgment, Redemption, Mission, and the Consummation of His reign.

  • Transformation: Disciple-forming Encounter shaped by the Wisdom of Jesus Christ.

The experience of God's presence, and the habits of praise and prayer, instruction and obedience that accompany this encounter shape the worshiper and the community in many ways. Thorugh the experience the Holy Spirit cultivates submission, affection, honesty, repentance, joy and gratitude, among other virtues. Over time, a well-developed vocabulary of worship, coupled with the Scriptures faithfully taught, helps us to grasp and embrace more fully God's purposes for our lives - as individuals, as the church, and as humanity.

  • Vocation: Space, Time and Models for Listening to God shaped by the Word who is Jesus Christ.

Biblical worship is aware of God's invitation to walk in relationship with Him and to participate in His purposes in history. By creating time, space, and models by which we are able to pay attention to God's purposes for us, we are shaped for our unique vocation (that is, how we will uniquely engage with every facet of life, for God's glory, in the world. These models may include biblical stories, principles and characters (esp. Jesus Christ) as well as personal testimonies of God's leading by staff, faculty, and professionals in the marketplace.

  • Participation: Covenant-affirming Participation shaped by the Body of Christ.

Biblical worship affirms the Body of Christ by ensuring that all are included and invited to participate, that each member's faith journey (past and present), worship/theological tradition, personal uniqueness, and culture is acknowledged and valued, and that worship is an instrument of unification rather than division. Worship leadership seeks to be collaborative and to involve many participants; worship forms and resources are used that are accessible relative to the congregation's skill level, attention span, cultural background, etc.

  • Incarnation: Creative, Relevant Communication shaped by the Example of Jesus Christ.

Biblical worship reflects the creativity and intentionality of God as it 'enfleshes' the Word, seeking to use relevant cultural expressions to speak forth the gospel. Just as Jesus' incarnation in itself reflected the intentions of God for the human body, for human endeavours (in worship, work, and leisure) and human culture, and just as Jesus used the most creative means possible to teach the good news about the kingdom of God, so the forms of worship should embody, and the content of worship should express the kingdom of God with creativity.

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Strategy

This mission, vision and set of core values lead us to the following approaches to worship leadership:

  • Companionship: Our planning process is saturated in an experience of spiritual friendship in communion with the Triune God, seeking to listen for God's whispers in Scripture, in one another's lives and experience, and in our own prayer lives.

  • Story: Believing in the power of narrative and ongoing pilgrimage to form the identity of God's people, we intentionally immerse our worship around Scripture's record of God's interactions with His people, based on an adapted academic-oriented liturgical calendar. For more information click here.

  • Collaboration: Our planning process reflects the value we place on the unique and diverse gifts that God brings to our student leadership team, as well as on the collective insights that come from praying and planning together. To get involved, click here.

  • Mentoring: We see the experience of worship planning and leading as a opportunity to walk alongside emerging leaders to help them identify and embrace the signficance of their own story and potential. For ways to get involved in this rich shared journey, click here.

  • The "catholic" church: We are learning to draw from and learn from worship resources - songs, prayers, practices, and the arts - from across Christian traditions, across Christian history, and across the cultures of the world, especially as they are represented at TWU. To see some of the resources we're using click here.

Question, Feedback, or Contribution? Contact the team.