At the heart of theological education is the worship of God. To that end, Hood Theological Seminary gathers for worship Saturdays at 11:10 a.m. virtually on zoom, live streamed on Hood's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hoodseminary. We also collect an offering at each service, given in its entirety to local and global charitable efforts such as the local Rowan Helping Ministries, Terrie Hess House Child Advocacy Center, and HIV/AIDS ministries in Zimbabwe, and Haiti Hunger Relief. Worship leaders and preachers include faculty, staff, students, alumni/ae, and guest preachers.

GUIDELINES FOR WORSHIP LEADERSHIP

Greetings! The Chapel-Community Life Committee is grateful that you are a part of the leadership team for worship at Hood Theological Seminary (HTS). Hood is a community that engages in a variety of important practices together that includes study and learning, table fellowship, worship of God, friendship, stewardship, justice–making and justice–keeping, and care for the creation and all its creatures.

Below are the guidelines for worship leaders. Please read these over carefully as you collaboratively plan worship for the Hood community. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Dora Mbuwayesango, Chair, Community Life Committee (dmbuwayesango@hoodseminary.edu).

1. Preachers are scheduled in coordination with the Preaching and Worship class II in the Fall semester and the graduating seniors in the spring semester. The completion of the “Worship and Preaching I” course is generally expected before preaching in Chapel, though not necessarily required.

2. Each preacher is encouraged to follow his or her own worship tradition and style, or to creatively prepare a service of worship with the special events of the particular season of the Christian calendar in mind, so that we may experience the diversity of our community and seasons.

3. We encourage preachers to consult, read, and preach from the lectionary (either the Revised Common Lectionary or the Daily Lectionary) which may be found online at this link: http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/. Note that this is a guideline, not a requirement. If a given preacher feels the need to choose alternate readings from scripture, he or she may do so. We encourage the use of the NRSV in worship at Hood, here are two links for coordinating the liturgical colors: http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/liturgical-colors.php, http://www.crivoice.org/cydatesA.html.

4. Preachers are to submit a copy of their Order of Service on the template provided each semester to Dr. Mbuwayesango and Dr. Daran Mitchell by the Wednesday of the week they are facilitating worship.