Purpose
To equip lay people to prepare and lead:
- a non-eucharistic Sunday service in church from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP)/Common Worship (CW)
- a Service of the Word from CW/New patterns of Worship (NPoW)
- an informal act of worship including Celtic, Taize etc
It is hoped that participants will feel confident enough to be invited by their priest and PCC to lead worship regularly. The course will not lead to any specific diocesan recognition and can be used to train new lay worship leaders or as a refresher for those with some experience.
The course will cover:
- Shape of Church of England liturgy (historical background)
- Permitted forms of liturgy/service
- Familiarisation with Book of Common Prayer, Common Worship, New Patterns for Worship and other resources
- Practical aspects of leading worship such as:
- Delivery
- Creating an order of service
- Intercessory prayer
- Music, creativity and silence within worship
- Preparing and giving a talk
Autumn 2026 Lay Worship Leader Course
Applications are now being taken for the autumn 2026 Lay Worship Leading course, commencing on 3 October 2026*. The course facilitators are the Revd Stephen Hardy and Sarah Emanuel (Reader). Download an application form here. Deadline for applications is 24 August 2026
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Saturday 3 Oct 2026 |
10am-4pm |
Diocesan House, Canterbury |
What is Worship? |
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Wednesday 7 Oct 2026 |
7pm-9pm |
Online |
Worship Down the Centuries / Leading Prayer |
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Wednesday 14 Oct 2026 |
7pm-9pm |
Resources / Giving a Talk |
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Wednesday 21 Oct 2026 |
7pm-9pm |
Practicalities / Voice Projection |
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Saturday 7 Nov 2026 |
10am-4pm |
Diocesan House, Canterbury |
Practical Application |
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Wednesday 11 Nov 2026 |
7pm-9pm |
Online |
Creativity, Music, All-Age Worship Session order to be confirmed. |
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Wednesday 18 Nov 2026 |
7pm-9pm |
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Wednesday 25 Nov 2026 |
7pm-9pm |
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Saturday 28 Nov 2026 |
10am-2pm |
Diocesan House, Canterbury |
The Way Ahead |