About Worship: Leading & Preaching

What is Worship: Leading & Preaching?

Worship: Leading & Preaching (WLP) is the authorised training course for worship leaders and local preachers in the Methodist Church in Britain. It provides a course of theological learning alongside the formational training you do in your circuit. Completing the course provides evidence to the Local Preachers’ Meeting or Church Council that you have acquired the necessary competence in theological reflection.

What is the structure of the course?

Worship: Leading & Preaching consists of eight modules.  The first four are designed for both Worship Leaders and Local Preachers, the second four are specifically for Local Preachers, who therefore complete all eight modules.

Each of the modules has three sections which contain a mix of individual study and reflection (Learn), group discussion (Explore) and practical application of learning (Project). Being online allows the course to contain a wide variety of material including audio and video which a paper-based course could not. The course is intended to be flexible and accessible for people whatever their educational, social, geographic, ethnic and educational background.

How is the course delivered?

WLP isbased around learning that the student does individually, using resources provided online. This is supplemented by three sessions of group work per module, which can be done in a small study group, a circuit or district study day, or residential course. We encourage worship leaders and local preachers to learn together. Every student has the support of a tutor, who assists them with their studies and with compiling their portfolio, and a mentor who accompanies them as they develop their practical skills.

How long does it take to become a local preacher or worship leader?

There is no fixed time for completion of the course.  Typically, for students with other commitments it will take two years to complete modules 1-4 and 4 years to complete the whole course (modules 1-8).  It is possible to complete the course in half that time, and there is even a "WLP in a Year" programme that aims to complete the course in a year.  However, it is best to be realistic.  The course is one part of the process of formation as a worship leader or local preacher, and you will need also to be gaining experience in leading worship. 

How are students assessed?

Assessment on the course is done through the completion of projects. There is one project per section, and these build up into portfolios. Portfolio A includes projects for modules 1-4 and Portfolio B contains modules 5 to 8. Assessment is done by the student’s tutor, and is done online through the course website. It's what we call "formative asssessment" which means that we are not looking for perfect pieces of finished work but the development of ideas by the student, the constructive feedback of the tutor and reflection on the way each topic affects the way the student understanding their calling. There's a moderation process to ensure tutors across the whole church are applying similar standards in their assessment.

What does it cost to do Worship: Leading & Preaching?

There is no cost to individuals, their churches or circuits for using Worship: Leading & Preaching. It is provided by the Methodist Connexion as a learning resource for the whole church. Students may however incur costs whilst doing their studies: for printing, internet access, books and materials they need, or for optional day or residential courses they choose to attend. We strongly encourage churches, circuits and districts to support their trainee worship leaders and local preachers in their studies.

How do I register for Worship: Leading & Preaching?

New students, mentors and tutors for Worship: Leading & Preaching need to be registered with the Local Preachers’ Office by their circuit Local Preachers Secretary. The noraml method is by using the Local Preachers' Return form. Details for using this are on the Local Preachers' Secretaries webpage. Alternatively, they can contact the Local Preachers' office at localpreachers@methodistchurch.org.uk.

I am currently studying WLP as a Worship Leader, but I want to switch to training as a Local Preacher. How do I do this?

To train as a Local Preacher, you will need a Note to Preach from your Superintendent Minister.  When the Local Preachers' Meeting approves your Note to Preach, the Local Preachers' Secretary will advise us at the Local Preachers' Office, and we will enrol you on the Local Preachers' programme.  You will then have full access to modules 5 to 8.

I am a Worship Leader who trained using a previous course for worship leaders. Do I have to complete WLP from the beginning to be recognised as a Local Preacher?

Yes, you will have to start the course from the beginning and complete two assessment portfolios in order to become a local preacher even though you are already a worship leader. There are two reasons. Firstly, the previous (six week) course for worship leaders did not contain the depth of study to the first four modules of Worship: Leading & Preaching so omitting them would leave large gaps in your knowledge and development. Secondly, WLP modules 5 to 8 build on the study completed during modules 1 to 4, so it would be difficult to pick up the course half-way through.

Is Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning (APEL) exemption available for this course?

APEL may be available for people who can demonstrate prior learning and experience that aligns with the requirements of Worship: Leading & Preaching.  However, you should note that Worship: Leading & Preaching is designed as part of a formational process as a local preacher or worship leader, and it is unlikely that training will completely satisfy all the requirements for formation as a Local Preacher.   More information and an application form for APEL can be found on the Local Preachers' Secretaries webpage.

Can I do the WLP course without training as a Worship Leader or Local Preacher? 

Yes, the course provides a great way of developing skills in theological reflection which can benefit any Christian.  If you choose to do the course in this way, you will still need a local tutor – your Circuit Superintendent or Local Preachers’ Secretary should be able to put you in touch. 

You will also need to be enrolled on the course, which you can do by contacting the Local Preachers’ office at localpreachers@methodistchurch.org.uk.  Please note however, that the course is not accredited through any external educational institution, and completion will not be valid as Approved Prior Experience and Learning (APEL) on any other course of study. 

What is the WLP Online Induction?

This is a 90 minute online session (using Zoom), designed for new students enrolling on WLP and their tutors and mentors.  These sessions are run monthly, alternating between Wednesday evenings and Friday afternoons.  When you enrol, you will receive details for future sessions.  It's a good idea to attend a session together with your tutor and mentor if you can.  This will set the scene for your learning using the course.  You can find the booking links for the sessions on the WLP Training page.

I have forgotten my password - what can I do?

Go to the WLP course website.

Enter your user name and select "Lost password?"

You will then receive an e-mail addressed to the email address you provided when you enrolled.  Clicking on the link in the email will take you to a page where you can set a new password.  If you don't receive an email, check your junk mail folder as emails sent from the course website do sometimes end up there.

I'm struggling to login to WLP.  What should I do?

Here are some suggestions:

• If you've not received an email with your login details from Moodle, check your "junk mail" - it may be there.
• The first time you log in, copy and paste your username and password from the email to avoid spelling errors.
• Make sure you overwrite any username or password that your browser tries to insert, it may not be the correct one.
• Select "show password as I type" to avoid making errors as you type your password.
• When you change your password, write the new one somewhere safe, and type it in yourself next time.
• When you click "Lost Password?" you will receive another email with a new password - check your junk mail if you don't receive it.

If you are still stuck, contact us at localpreachers@methodistchurch.org.uk.

I seem to be logged into WLP but get a "cannot enrol on the course" message when I try to access the course materials.

It is possible that you inadvertently logged in using a previous username linked to a previous version of the course.  To avoid this, make sure you type in your username for the current version (version 3) and overwrite any names that your browser may want to fill in the username box.  Remember to use your latest password too.  If you have forgotten it, use the "Forgotten password?" button to set a new one.

Can I take a look at WLP online without having to enrol?

If you wish to take a look at WLP to see what's involved without enrolling:

Log with the username guestwlp3, password Guest-wlp3.  You will be able to see the Worship, Learn and Explore material, together with the Project Briefs and the new "My Notes" function.  However, you won't be able to see the Project Workspace, as this is set up specifically for those who enrol as students or tutors.  Nor will you see the Module Library, which is only accessible to those enrolled on the course for copyright licensing reasons.

How do I print from the course website?

To print the Worship or Explore material, go to the module-section you require and look for the "Print" icon at the top right hand side of the main text.  This will print using the settings in your particular browser.  To print the Learn material, use the "Export as PDF" icon at the top right of any page in Learn for the module-section.  This icon will create a PDF file for the whole of Learn for the module-section and either open it, or save it depending on how your browser is set up.  You can then open the file and print it as you choose.  If you find that the PDF files are truncated - for example if there is text missing at the right edge of the page, check in your browser print settings that "shrink to fit" is selected rather than "100%".  If you find the print size is too small, choosing "landscape" rather than "portrait" in the print settings may help.  All browsers work slightly differently, but most offer a range of settings to enable you to print material efficiently. 

What do the coloured boxes and initials mean on the Portfolio grid?

The boxes show the current status of each project:

Grey / NV = No Version yet submitted.  You haven't yet sent the project version to your Tutor.
Blue / ST = Sent to Tutor.  Your project is with your Tutor and you can't do further work until they send it back.
Amber / CR = Comments Received.  Your Tutor has responded to your latest version and you are free to work on it again.
Green / SA = Summative Assessment Complete.  Your project is complete and has been added to your portfolio.

Can I display several pages from the course on my screen at the same time, such as the Project Workspace and the Project Brief?

Yes. Once you are logged in, you can display as many seperate views as you like at the same time.  Depending on your browser, it's easiest to show the different views in different tabs - you can usually right-click on a selection and choose "open in a new tab" or similar.  It's sometimes possible to open your browser multiple times too, although this depends on your computer and browser setup.

I'm trying to add a PowerPoint file to a project in the Project Workspace but it's too big.  What can I do?

The main reason that PowerPoint files grow large is the size of the photos in the presentation.  PowerPoint provides a solution to this.  The details differ between versions of PowerPoint, but in the 2016 version this is what you do:

1. Open your presentation in PowerPoint and select a photo.

2. Select the "Format" tab and choose "Compress Pictures".

3. Untick "Apply only to this picture" - this ensures compression is applied to the whole presentation.

4. Select your chosen "Target Output" - the "email" resolution will be quite adequate for use in your project, although you may wish to keep a version with full resolution if you want to use the presentation in church or elsewhere.

5. Select "OK" and save your file - you should see a considerable reduction in file size.  Thanks to Julian Bonnebaigt for this helpful tip.