Leading the Way to Worship: Student-Led Worship at Lutheran West

November 2026

This article originally appeared in the Cleveland Lutheran High School Association (CLHSA) Annual Report, published November 2026.

There is something powerful about watching students lead students.

At Lutheran West, that is becoming increasingly evident in Chapel, where student worship leaders are stepping forward—not just to sing a song or play an instrument, but to invite their peers into worship alongside them. Through the Spirit and Truth course, which was added in 2025, and the student Worship Leading Team, Lutheran West students are learning that leadership in worship begins long before they step onto the Chapel stage. It begins with a heart moved by God.

When Jessica Fischer, Music Department Head and Assistant Choir Director, came to Lutheran West in 2021, she was asked to mentor students in leading worship. Drawing from 30 years of experience as a worship director, she began meeting with instrumentalists during free periods and before and after school. What began with students from Bel Canto gradually grew into a band—and into something much bigger.

In 2025–26, Fischer and Mr. Matt Wills, High School Theology Teacher and Video Broadcasting Teacher & Department Head, were given a dedicated class period to expand that work through a course they titled Spirit and Truth.

“For me, it was an answer to my prayers,” Jessica says. “I had been a worship director for 30 years and felt God calling me to mentor the next generation.”

That next generation is now taking ownership.

Spirit and Truth goes far beyond learning how to sing or play an instrument. Students study the Biblical meaning of worship and the connection between music and God, while also learning the practical skills required to lead a service—from creating lyric slides and managing sound equipment to organizing music, building harmonies, and shaping the dynamics of a song.

But the deeper lesson is that worship is a unique setting, wonderfully deeper and set apart from any other ‘performance’.

“True worship in Spirit and Truth is a sacrificial and God-honoring heart posture,” Jessica explains, pointing to Romans 12:1. Students dive deeply into studying the words they sing, connecting songs with Scripture, praying for their fellow students, and seeking God’s direction as they select material for Chapel.

The result is a worship ministry in which students are not simply following
instructions from adults, but are instead empowered to make decisions, developing their gifts and discerning how they can best serve their school community.

This new sense of student ownership has had a tangible impact on Chapel.

“There is great impact when students lead their peers into the presence of God,” Jessica says. Students learn not only the mechanics of leading worship, but also the responsibility that comes with it—to walk in integrity and truth, and to model
humility and faithfulness not only during worship but throughout their days as leaders amongst their peers in faith and ethics.

The example they’re setting appears to be contagious.

“Spirit and Truth has shown me how to worship like there are no eyes on you, and although that’s ironic, we should worship like nobody’s watching. Even when people might watch, judge, and criticize,” says Grace Moore ’27, current senior.

Her classmate Zach Wilson ’27 agrees. “Our student-led Chapel really influences our community to worship out loud more. When kids see their peers enjoying worship, it helps them to find joy in worship too.”

When students joyfully and unabashedly sing and worship, they help create an environment in which their classmates feel invited to participate. Wills describes a “considerable amount of student buy-in” that has contributed to a spiritual growth movement at Lutheran West. That movement extends beyond the school day through a program called Dwell In, a voluntary student-led worship night that continues to grow in participation.

Wills says, “With students at the helm of all the decision-making, they’re crafting a worship experience that authentically engages the entire student population.”

Behind each Chapel service is a remarkable amount of preparation. The worship teams work months in advance around constantly rotating student teams, often preparing for multiple services at once. One team may be rehearsing songs, memorizing lyrics, creating slides, and working through harmonies and dynamics, while another selects songs based on the day’s Scripture and Chapel speaker, determines keys, and makes sure every team member has access to the necessary music and resources.

It is, sometimes, as Matt puts it, “organized chaos.”

But the chaos has a purpose: the class is a place for ideas, growth, and adaptability. Shainelly Alvarado-Williams ’28 says that she looks forward to her Spirit and Truth class period each day. “Spirit and Truth gets me out of my comfort zone for sure, but it has become part of my life and something I truly enjoy and look forward to. I love going to a class every day with people who are open to new things, changes, and new songs. It has helped me to open up and grow in my faith. I also love being part of something that elevates the school, because more people are open to worshipping and the community has become a student-led sacred place of worship.”

Senior Logan Miles has also been challenged to step out of his comfort zone in the most rewarding way. “Spirit and Truth has truly been life-changing for me. It has allowed me to step far out of my comfort zone to do great things for God! I worship more often, not just because it’s the purpose of the class, but I feel more comfortable worshipping in front of people regardless of what they’re thinking. It’s great to see the school community engaged in what we’re doing in Chapel—they love when we introduce new songs and they love when we do the ‘classics.’ So many more people are smiling and are in true states of worship.”

And for students, the process often reveals something unexpected: just how much goes into leading worship well.

Many students are already taking what they are learning at Lutheran West and carrying it with them into serving on worship teams at their churches and youth groups. Former students have even sent Jessica videos of themselves leading worship at college or church events.

They discover the nuances of a song and how dynamics can shape the journey of the community. They dig deeper into the meaning behind the words they sing, which often leads them directly into Scripture and meditation on God’s truth.

Perhaps most importantly, they begin to understand that leading worship is not about being seen.

Jessica hopes that while students are worshipping more visibly in Chapel and their home churches and youth groups, they are also
finding themselves seeking more time building their individual relationships with God.

“My greatest joy is hearing stories of students worshipping by
themselves at home, when no one is watching—just to be with Jesus!” Jessica says. “That is where the desire to be in the presence of God extends beyond the desire to be seen and heard.”

Yes, Spirit and Truth builds worship leaders, but it truly builds lifelong disciples—students who, regardless of whether they lead worship in any capacity in their adult lives, will understand how to use their God-given gifts, approach all endeavors with a servant’s heart, lead and support others in their faith, and walk with Christ wherever God calls them.

For Zach Wilson ’27, this has become his reality. “Spirit and Truth has influenced my own spiritual life because it has taught me truly how to worship and lead others into God’s presence.”

“Even though we’re focused on how to lead others in worship, says Hadley Burnett ’27, “Spirit and Truth has changed my own worship experience by teaching me how to worship the Lord despite what’s going on in my life. It’s taught me a lot about how to personally worship in my own way.”

Jessica wants students to understand worship as a life of surrender—to see it as communion with God, repentance and healing, and as a way of singing the Gospel to others and to themselves. She wants them to place their gifts and abilities under God’s authority and allow Him to use those gifts for His kingdom.

At the middle school level, our youngest students are taking up the charge as well. The new Middle School Worship Leading Club meets before school 2 times per month, giving students the opportunity to plan the music, messaging and technology for bi-weekly Chapel services designed specifically for grades 6–8.

And as these young leaders grow in their gifts and their faith, they are doing something remarkable in the process: leading their peers not simply toward worship while in Chapel, but toward a lifetime of walking beside Jesus.

The goal is excellence in worship, but not excellence for its own sake.

“Only for God’s glory,” Jessica says.

At each Chapel service, it’s increasingly clear that that goal is being reached.

As senior Hadley Burnett ’27 puts it, “I can see how God is moving through us.”

Alumni and friends of Lutheran West are always welcome to visit for a Chapel service. We pray you’ll consider joining us on a Tuesday or Thursday at 9:30 AM to witness the incredible student-led worship taking place in Middle School or High School Chapel.