ABSTRACT
The Undergraduate Music Minister (UGMM) Program at the University of Dayton provides a unique opportunity for musically talented students to participate in formation and vocational discernment as leaders of music in worship settings through experiential learning (EL). This chapter will explore how the UGMM program encourages students to reflect upon their vocational call to music ministry and how the experience of participating in the program cultivates skills in vocation discernment which can be applied beyond music ministry. It will include first-person accounts from the program leader, current participants, and graduates of the program alongside a thorough exploration of the learning objectives of the program.
This 25-year-old program, with its foundations in Catholic magisterial teaching, educational theory, and EL, has helped equip an entire generation of student musicians to embrace the call to music ministry. Whether or not they pursue ministry as a career, students leave the program better equipped to understand work as vocation, discern the movement of the Spirit in their lives, and assist congregations in expressions of worship.
