A Weekend of Worship & Unity
On a cold spring weekend in March, we had the privilege of hosting Royal Anthems on our campus. Formed from a desire to strengthen and unify the Canadian Church, Royal Anthems is a collective of songwriters, pastors, and worship leaders who are passionate about creating worship that reflects the faith, diversity, and heart of the Canadian Church.
Worshippers from around Canada came to our campus to inspire and be inspired. Throughout the weekend, they gave our students a glimpse into how meaningful it is when believers come together with one purpose: to lift high the name of Jesus.
Creating Community for Worship Leaders
This partnership was facilitated by Jay Muir, Program Director and Assistant Professor of Applied Worship Arts. Here are his reflections:
“The role of the worship leader or worship pastor in the local church can be a fairly isolating one. We’re separated from the rest of the body by a platform and a microphone. We don’t experience worship in the same way as most of the congregation because our worship is purposefully connected to theirs. We’re also a pretty introverted, introspective group as a whole, and aren’t really great at organizing ourselves into meaningful community with other worship leaders.
This is where Royal Anthems, I think, is playing a truly meaningful part in connecting worship leaders from across the country and giving them a community and a tribe where we all feel seen and known, not only by each other, but by the Lord as well. It’s been incredibly encouraging and life-giving for me personally.
Inspiring the Next Generation
I think any opportunity to connect our students to the larger vision of what the Lord is doing in the larger Canadian Church – or American, or anywhere else around the world – will ultimately prove valuable to them in developing their own vision of what’s possible and what the Lord might be calling them to as they finish their degrees and move out into full-time ministry.
Specifically with Royal Anthems, exposing our own worship leading students to the depth of talent and giftedness already present in the Canadian church will hopefully inspire them to develop their own creative gifts and use them for God’s glory in whatever ministry context they find themselves after Kingswood.”
A Song Written at Kingswood
To close out the weekend, the team also wrote and recorded a brand-new worship song right here on campus — a powerful reflection of the collaboration, creativity, and shared heart for worship that defined the entire experience. More than just a song, it became a reminder of what can happen when worship leaders come together with humility, unity, and a desire to create something that points people toward Jesus.
We’re excited to share the recording as part of this story and invite you to listen for yourself.