Center for Worship Leadership
Be Empowered as a Worship Leader
The Center for Worship Leadership (CWL) exists to encourage leaders of worship with confessionally Lutheran, contextually artistic, and gospel-rooted resources and experiences.
At Concordia University Irvine, CWL partners with the music and theology faculties to train and equip the next-generation of worship arts leaders and church musicians through the Director of Parish Music Minor. At the core of our work, however, is the commitment to support church leaders and songwriters currently serving in church contexts through initiatives like the Worship Arts Leader Initiative, The Songwriter Initiative, The Liturgy Initiative, the CWL Podcast Network, the Theology of Worship Certificate Program, and The Psalm Library.
Worship Arts Leader Initiative Summit
WALi is an initiative of Concordia University Irvine’s Center for Worship Leadership (CWL), which envisions a supportive and encouraging community of theologically faithful leaders engaged in contextual artistry throughout the LCMS.
The Worship Arts Leader Initiative (WALi) Summit connects leaders of worship together for common support, empowered learning, and professional inspiration. WALi leaders share a commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, especially within the LCMS. WALi also welcomes all who are eager to engage with its mission.
The Songwriter Initiative
The Songwriter Initiative of the Center for Worship Leadership exists to support modern songwriters serving within the LCMS church body and seeks to be a positive resource and influence for those writing for the church-at-large.
Music and melody, as a vehicle for the proclamation of the Gospel and expression of praise to God for all that he is and has done for us in Christ, has always been a valued part of our tradition. Necessarily, then, our creativity requires guidance and meaningful training so that those who are called to write in service to the Gospel will benefit. To that end, the Songwriter Initiative exists to support songwriters throughout the church, empowering each artist to create art that glorifies God, while creating a community that shares the common goal of sharing the Gospel message of Jesus.
Psalm Library
While churches often have many resources to facilitate the singing of hymns and other spiritual songs, Psalm arrangements are often less accessible.
The Center for Worship Leadership Psalm Library provides the church with these settings to continue in this tradition of the people of God engaging in and singing the Psalms as a part of their gatherings. Psalm singing connects us to the ancient church, but even more importantly, to Christ. After all, the Old Testament book Jesus quoted the most was the Psalms!
Discover CWL Resources
Access a wide range of free worship resources created by our team — from liturgies and sermon series to music, videos, and VBS packages. Whether you’re planning a service, writing a song, or exploring worship ministry, these materials are designed to support your growth. You can also download Weave Worship, our app designed to support worship leaders and ministries.
The Center Blog
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‘Lamb of Sacrifice’ – A Theological Reflection by Rev. Dr. Robert Kolb
In my first year of preaching, Good Shepherd Sunday gave…
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‘It is Finished’ A Theological Reflection
The words “it is finished” may be uttered as a…
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‘Broken for Our Brokenness’ – A Theological Reflection by Rev. Dr. Robert Kolb
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall (trying to climb to…
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‘Counting’ – A Theological Reflection by Rev. Dr. Robert Kolb
Countdowns bring with them a certain amount of suspense, but…
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‘The Weight’ – A Theological Reflection by Rev. Dr. Robert Kolb
Carrying something heavy strains our muscles, exhausts us, sometimes overwhelms…
Support Our Mission
Strengthen our ministry by supporting the Center for Worship Leadership. With your generosity, we can continue providing resources, training opportunities, and creative initiatives that equip worship leaders for service in the church.