In the Worship Practicum classroom, students will be encouraged to hone their craft in a space that encourages creativity. Students will also learn how to skillfully and intentionally shape worship experiences.

Innovation is a value for us at Highlands College, a spirit that we want to characterize everything we do. We believe that innovation is essential for anyone that seeks to expand the leading edges of God’s kingdom.

As an institution of higher education built in a moment in time where the sector is demanding innovation, we are rethinking everything about how our students learn. With a focus on a dynamic, hands- on approach to pastoral leadership training, we believe the actual spaces where students learn is going to be critical to their success.

It starts with Academics, where the Active Classroom model flips the classroom dynamic on its head. Homework is replaced with pre-work, where students get the information they would’ve learned in the lecture before they ever get in the classroom. That frees class time up for students to work in groups to apply the new information under the direction of the instructor. To learn more about this game-changing method and how it is shaping our new campus, watch this video with our Executive Vice President of Academics, Gina Cox.

Equally as important to us as Academics, hands-on ministry training is critical to our graduates’ success. With over 400 hours of hands-on experience in their ministry area of concentration, our graduates possess ministry skills and are ready to execute from Day 1.

While much of that occurs in real ministry environments within what we call the “living laboratory” of Church of the Highlands, ministry skills are introduced and refined in practice environments that replicate the real thing.

We’re building our new campus with dedicated training and practice space for each of our eight practicums: Pastoral Leadership, Student Ministry, Worship Leadership, Family Ministry, Technical Arts, Creative, Outreach, and Conferences and Events. Each of these spaces is intentionally shaped for the development of the unique skills needed for that area of ministry.

With Conferences and Events becoming a key element in church culture today, we have created a space for these practicum students to not only plan events, but also develop systems that allow for excellent conference experiences. This practicum space was created to create real-life training so our students are fully prepared to host any event. Students can practice creating centerpieces, hosting guests, and developing tablescapes for potential conferences.

Written by President Mark Pettus