W:LP FAQs
About the course
What is Worship: Leading & Preaching?
Worship: Leading & Preaching is the authorised training course for trainee worship leaders and local preachers in the Methodist Church in Britain. It provides the educational part of the process of formation as a worship leader or local preacher. Completing the course provides evidence to the Local Preachers’ Meeting or Church Council that you have acquired the necessary competence in theological reflection appropriate to your calling.
What is the structure of the course?
Worship: Leading & Preaching consists of eight modules. The first four modules are designed for Worship Leaders and Local Preachers, the second four for Local Preachers, who theefore study all eight.
Each of the course modules contains a mix of individual study and reflection (Learn), group discussion (Explore) and practical application of learning in a 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 from many different social, geographic, ethnic and educational backgrounds.
How is the course delivered?
Much of the course consists of 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. Local preachers will also need to meet the requirements for quarterly assessed services by their Local Preachers’ Meeting, whose task is to discern your calling as a local preacher.
How are students assessed?
Assessment on the course is done through portfolios, of which a worship leader produces one, and a local preacher produces two. The items in the portfolio provide evidence of the student’s learning and their reflection on their experience so far. Each portfolio includes examples of the services the student has been involved with, and feedback received, and a small number of creative items, each of which relates to a particular theological theme studied during the course. Assessment is done by the student’s tutor, who guides the student as they compile their portfolio and provides constructive feedback. There is a moderation process to ensure tutors across the Methodist Connexion are applying similar standards in their assessment.
Assessment focusses on the learners' developing understanding and skills, and their reflections on their learning journey, rather than on academic knowledge or writing style.
What does it cost to do Worship: Leading & Preaching?
There is no cost to individuals, their churches or circuits for Worship: Leading & Preaching. It is provided by the Methodist Connexion as a learning resource for the whole church. Students will however incur costs whilst doing their studies: for printing, internet access, books and materials they need, or for day or residential courses they choose to attend. In the past, many circuits supported their local preachers by subsidising their “toolkit” and we strongly encourage churches, circuits and districts to support their trainee worship leaders and local preachers in their studies.
I have forgotten my password - what can I do?
Go to the course website here.
Enter your user name and select "Lost password?"
You will 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.
Who can be a Mentor?
A Mentor for a Worship Leader in training should be a Worship Leader who is currently authorised to serve in this role by their Church Council, or an accredited Local Preacher. A Mentor for a Local Preacher in training should be an accredited Local Preacher. There is no requirement for a Mentor to have completed the Worship: Leading & Preaching course themselves, but we would encourage them to familiarise themselves with the course and its requirements so that they can provide good support and encouragement to their mentee.
Registration, Enrolment and Transfers
How do I register for Worship: Leading & Preaching?
New students, mentors and tutors for Worship: Leading & Preaching should be registered with the Local Preachers’ Office by circuit Local Preachers Secretaries using the LPWL Return Form. This form can be completed online, or downloaded here.
I am a Worship Leader who trained using a previous course for worship leaders. Do I have to complete Worship: Leading & Preaching from the beginning to become accredited as an LP?
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.
The most important reason for this is that the previous Connexional course for worship leaders does not match up in terms of depth of study to the first four modules of Worship: Leading & Preaching and so there would be large gaps in a local preachers training if these were not studied fully.
Can I do the Worship: Leading & Preaching course without training as a Worship Leader or Local Preacher?
Yes, the course provides a great way of developing skills in theological reflection which are really beneficial in the life of any Christian disciple. 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. You won’t however need a mentor. On completion of the course, you will receive a certificate to recognise your achievement. 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. I
I am currently studying the Worship Leader modules of W:LP, but I want to proceed on to train as a Local Preacher. How do I do this?
It is usually best to submit your "Worship Leader" portfolio, keeping the additional material in hand until you receive a Note to Preach. At this point, your Local Preachers' Secretary will advise the Local Preachers' Office, and we will enrol you on the Local Preachers' programme. The additional material required for the "Local Preachers' Portfolio A" can then be submitted using the "Portfolio Resubmission" process.
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 downloaded here.
Using the WLP website
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 on localpreachers@methodistchurch.org.uk.
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.
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 version 2 of the course. To avoid this, make sure you type in your WLP3 username and override any names that your browser may want to fill in the username box. Remember to use your WLP3 password too. If you have forgotten it, use the "Forgotten password?" button to set a new one.