Resources
Weave is a powerful, searchable worship planning suite that empowers pastors, music directors, and worship leaders to select songs and liturgical elements with theological confidence and clarity. Rooted in confessional Lutheran theology and attentive to the rhythms of the church year, Weave helps evaluate music by both its sound and its substance. It also integrates seamlessly with Planning Center Online, streamlining the planning process from reflection to execution.
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…
Liturgies
A good service order, liturgy, or planning template builds meaning and connection at each step. The church has many such resources available, especially in our hymnals, but little is available to those attempting to leverage modern tools in service to the gospel in worship. To provide turnkey resources and curate helpful models, CWL annually produces liturgies in both modern and traditional formats.
In the midst of an often polarized worship culture, the Center for Worship Leadership sets out on a middle way. We recognize that an “anything goes” mentality of worship insufficiently represents how worship shapes believing, and fails to acknowledge that worship is in service to the gospel. A good service order, liturgy, or planning template builds meaning and connection each step of the way, pointing toward, and stemming from, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, as we understand from our Lutheran heritage, our orders of worship “must serve for the promotion of faith and love and not be a detriment to faith” (Luther).
As a training organization we recognize that in many situations people are best served by “learning to fish.” We also understand, however, that there are many ministry leaders within the church who are well served by using, and learning from, a resource that has been created for them. For this reason, the Center for Worship Leadership endeavors to provide orders of worship as a resource for the church. Certainly, our hope is that these liturgies will help those who plan modern worship services. The CWL, however, aspires to support the whole church and is committed to writing liturgical resources that will serve the two broadly defined modes of expression – modern and traditional.
God Who Bleeds Sermon Series
Prepare your congregation’s hearts for Lent with our newest 10-part sermon series, centered around the powerful song God Who Bleeds from The Songwriter Initiative.
This resource, curated from Pastor Jon Gruen’s work, includes:
- Suggested liturgies
- Song & hymn recommendations
- Sermon outlines
- And more tools to enrich your worship services!
Worship leaders and pastors—don’t miss this opportunity to bring meaningful reflections to your community this season. Let’s journey together toward the cross and the empty tomb with deeper understanding and worship of the God who bleeds for us all.
Arise: One-Sheet & Liturgical Resource
We at the Center for Worship Leadership (CWL) have crafted two liturgy options for the song “Arise,” published by CWL. Both are call and response formats, designed to enrich your worship experience. Feel free to use these liturgies as they are or adapt them to fit your unique context. We hope they inspire you and bless your community!
Opening Liturgy & Candle Lighting for Advent
We at the Center for Worship Leadership are excited to share a new resource from our Liturgy Initiative: an Opening Liturgy and Candle Lighting for the four Sundays of Advent, crafted by Alex Guebert of Orange County, CA. This collection includes thoughtfully composed liturgies for each week of Advent, incorporating scripture, hymns, and responsive readings to help you celebrate the journey towards Christmas with your congregation.
Each of the four Advent services follows a similar structure, featuring an invocation, a candle lighting moment, hymns, and a shared confession and absolution. The liturgies are designed to draw the congregation into the rich themes of hope, peace, joy, and love, building anticipation for the celebration of Christ’s birth.
We encourage you to use these liturgies as they are or adapt them to suit your worship setting. Whether you choose to use the full liturgy or just incorporate parts of it, our hope is that these resources will inspire and enrich your Advent worship.
We hope that these liturgies will bless your community as you prepare your hearts for the coming of our Savior!
4th Sunday in Advent
Looking ahead to the 4th Sunday of Advent? We have a special resource for you. Last year (2023), Christmas Eve fell on a Sunday morning, and we created a unique liturgy to support worship planners navigating this special occasion. While that specific scenario may not happen every year, the liturgy remains a powerful and flexible resource designed for the 4th Sunday of Advent. This liturgy includes a call to worship, confession/absolution, prayers, and song recommendations—all built around the day’s readings. And it’s fully adaptable to fit the needs of your community. Download the resource today and make it your own!
2023 Holy Week Writing Retreat
This material was created at a writing retreat hosted by the Center for Worship Leadership (CWL) of Concordia University Irvine. There, a team of creative writers, theologians, and writers worked together to create the following tools for you to consider, adjust and use for your Holy Week services. Thanks for downloading, and please keep the following caveats in mind as you engage the material:
We hope that engaging, reflecting and using these resources enriches your Holy Week services and the proclamation of Christ’s death and resurrection for us!
Each group was asked to focus on the poetics and focus of one of the pericopal readings. For example, Maundy Thursday 1 was written with the Exodus readings especially in view, while Maundy Thursday 2 was written with the poetics of the Psalm in view. This was done to see what kind of variety could be created liturgically, akin to a Pastor preaching primarily on one of the texts of the lectionary. This creative endeavor was the first step in the larger vision of creating an online worship planning tool.
Not all of the following materials will work in every context – each local liturgist will need to use wisdom in selecting and adapting these resources. Please feel free to cut, paste, and change the materials as suits your context. Also, please use them without crediting the liturgical authors or CWL in your bulletin. We do not offer these resources as a turn-key resource, nor do we offer these as complete Holy Week services. You might like a particular call to worship, or a confession as it fits with your sermon or set of songs. You might like several of the components within one of the sets and integrate them into your service flow. You might not find anything here helpful for your context, maybe you are simply inspired by something you read.
Good Friday: The Seven Words of Jesus from the Cross
Poetry can help us engage familiar ideas in new and stimulating ways. The CWL Liturgy Initiative is proud to share a poetic presentation of the seven words of Jesus on the cross for you to consider for your Good Friday service. As with all our content, the liturgy has gone through a doctrinal review process. By Rev. Caleb Adams of Bend, OR.
Podcast Network
We teach that there are three core competencies of worship arts ministry that should be embraced, practiced, and nurtured. We continue to explore these 3 competencies through the Center for Worship Leadership Podcast Network. Our shows are:
The Lutheran Worship Podcast
Join Rev. Steve Zank and Kip Fox from the Center for Worship Leadership at Concordia University Irvine as they explore the beauty and depth of Lutheran worship. Reflecting CWL’s mission to encourage, equip, and empower leaders of worship, each episode moves from theology to practice, connecting the church’s heritage with the realities of leading worship in today’s diverse contexts.
Theology in Motion
Join Steve Zank for conversations about the theology of Christian worship and how it is related to practice, design, and culture. The “Theology in Motion” podcast is produced by the Center For Worship Leadership, Christ College, Concordia University Irvine, CA. “Theology In Motion” is a part of the Center for Worship Leadership Podcast Network.
On the Ground Floor
Join Matt Preston as he leads conversations with real life ministry leaders as they share the wisdom of their experience in worship leadership. Just as it is important to get a 30k foot view of concepts and ideas, theology and philosophy, it is important to see those ideas lived out as we encourage and lead our local churches. Join us for monthly conversations here on the ground floor. The “On the Ground Floor” podcast is produced by the Center For Worship Leadership, Christ College, Concordia University Irvine, CA.
How the Soup is Made
Join host Corey Witt for interviews with worship musicians, as he explores musical questions of growth through the lens of practical applications and practical skills – hence the title: “How the Soup is Made.” We’re going behind the scenes on what skills it takes to get better and better at doing the work of a worship musician and practitioner. “How the Soup is Made” is a part of the Center for Worship Leadership Podcast Network.