Worship Assistants

The Dean of Students, who also coordinates worship for the seminary, is ably assisted each year by a group of students who act as Worship Education Assistants (EA's).  They work regularly with student worship teams to help in all aspects of planning of each service.  They also assist with media and sound technology, and provide additional helping hands in setting up and cleaning the chapel after worship is over each week.

In addition, they provide creative leadership and assistance for special worship services throughout the year.

Each has multiple talents and is deeply committed to the worship life of our community.  Feel free to contact them if you have questions about worship or want assistance with worship planning; if you want to participate on a worship team; or if you're looking for worship resources that may provide you with some new ideas.   

The worship EA's for 2011-2012 are:

Ed Bird (EBird@go.mccormick.edu)

Ed is an M Div student in his second year at McCormick.  He is a lifelong Episcopalian with a brief detour into the Southern Baptist church.  He is currently a postulant for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.  Ed says this about worship: "It's a binding activity where we can bring all of ourselves, give ourselves, and become a new united community in expressed, corporate love and praise of God.  What greater honor than to be a worship assistant for a community of peers?"

Megan Cochran (MCochran@go.mccormick.edu)

Megan Cochran is in her third (and final!) year of the MDiv program here at McCormick.  She is currently amidst some discerning about where her call is taking her.  When she originally applied to McCormick it was to become a chaplain at a hospital or hospice, but after an incredible experience in her second year internship she is feeling a pull in a different direction, parish ministry (a direction she never thought she would head!).  One of the things she loved so dearly about this internship was the active involvement in weekly worship planning and she very much looks forward to continuing involvement in this newly discovered passion by being your worship EA this year!  Megan looks forward to exploring, with our McCormick community, creative, holistic and holy ways to worship God together as God's people.  Megan believes that we have the incredible opportunity here at McCormick "not only to worship in one unique style, but to bring all of our unique styles of worshipping God together to learn and grow as a community of faith."  Now, let's get to worshipping!

Deanna Drake (DDrake@go.mccormick.edu)

Deanna is a second-year MDiv student at McCormick, seeking ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  She writes, "Worship at McCormick was one of the biggest sources of spiritual nourishment for me when I came to school. Each service was unique and open to our diversity as a student body, and I found God in the different ways I was led in worship each week. I wanted to be part of this process and to work with others in experimenting with creative ways of communicating with God in community. I’m looking forward to crafting services collaboratively that speak to who we are as a school and as a contemporary community of Christ engaging the world around us."

Jung Jae Lee (JLee2@go.mccormick.edu)

Biographical statement coming soon!