Worship

Welcome to Worship at Crookes. This section of the website is currently under construction and will soon contain blogs, resources, free downloads and much more.

Our vision for Worship at Crookes is simple: To build a passionate, inspiring and creative worshipping community

Worship is a central part of what we do at St Thomas Crookes, as we look to ‘Meet Friends, Meet God, and Live Life Better’. Primarily, our focus for worship is to Meet God. We hope that whenever we gather, whether as church, cluster or cell, we will meet and encounter Him through the Holy Spirit.

Encountering God in worship in this way is both dynamic and life-changing. We seek to be Jesus-centred and open to God and His Spirit. We believe in releasing musicians to express their gifts at all levels of our church community.

We aim to provide a vocabulary for the church to respond to what God is doing in our hearts and lives, both individually and as a body.


Thank you for expressing an interest for joining the worship team here at St Thomas Crookes. Before you apply to join the Worship team, please download the Joining the Team booklet which will provide you will all the necessary information you’ll need to take your application forward.

At St Thomas Crookes, we aim to glorify Jesus in all we do, and we are looking for servant hearted musicians to do the same. Worship is as much about tidying the stage when no one is watching, as it is about playing your instrument in from of hundreds. As a worship team, we are here to serve Jesus and His church with our hearts, lives and skills.

Our hope is that you will read the information booklet and prayerfully consider whether joining the worship team is the right place for you to serve at St Thomas Crookes.

 

Your Details

Name

Address

Postcode

Telephone (Landline)

Mobile

Email

Date of Birth

Church

Cluster

How long have you been a member of St Thomas Crookes?

Your Skill

Which part(s) of the team are you applying for?
 Musicians Sound Visual

Which instrument(s) do you play?
 Piano (Classical) Piano (Non-Classical) Keyboard/Pads Acoustic Guitar Electric Guitar Bass Guitar Drums Percussion Violin Cello Trumpet Saxophone Backing Vocals None (Audio/Visual only)

Other

How long have you been playing your instrument?
 0-2 Years 2-5 Years 5-10 Years 10+ Years

Do you have any experience of playing in or mixing bands, worship teams, etc?

Your Commitment

Which gathering would you prefer to serve at?
Please note that you may be asked to serve at both
 Morning Evening Both

Please state which practice times you are able to commit to:
Subject to notification from the worship leader
 Thursday Evening Sunday Afternoon

If you are unable to commit to any of the above, please state reasons why below:

Your Worship

What ways - personally/privately - do you engage in worship during the week?

Please explain why you would like to join the Worship Team and what do you feel you can offer?

Please provide any other relevant information you feel is applicable below:

Our Small Print

Please read through and tick the following:

My details will be held on file for contact purposes in relation to Worship at Crookes. This includes, but is not limited to, being contacted in relation to serving on the team, rehearsals and training events. My personal details will not be shared with any third parties or other areas of ministry at St Thomas Crookes without prior consent.

I have read and understood the contents of the Joining the Team booklet (Download and read before submitting your application).

I agree to partaking in an audition and meeting one of the team leaders to discuss my possible involvement in Worship at Crookes at an agreed time.

I understand that the team leaders reserve the right to accept/defer my application based upon the information I have provided by way of this form and verbally, and based upon my audition.

All the information I have provided in this application is true.

Our Response

Thank you for taking the time to fill out your application form. Upon receipt of your application form, we will endeavour to review your responses within 3 weeks and arrange a suitable time for you to come in, have an informal chat and undertake an audition. You will be asked to have two piece of music prepared (chord sheets and MP3s will be provided upon request) so we can accurately assess your performance.

Once your audition has taken place, our team leaders will debrief and contact you within a week with a decision. At this point, you will either be asked to join the team or deferred.

Please insert the following code as displayed below prior to submitting your application.
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St. Thomas Crookes has several worship leaders, who regularly lead at various gatherings. We are always keen to invest in others. If you feel called to be involved in worship leading, contact nick.law@stthomascrookes.org.

 

Becca Staniforth

Becca has been born and bred in Sheffield, and joined the St Thomas staff team as the Worship Director in 2007. She is married to Adam and before working at church, worked as a Geography teacher in a local school.

Becca started leading worship when she was 16 at her local church, and since then has played at Spring Harvest and New Wine. Most recently in summer 2008, she lead worship at New Wine North.

As the Worship Director she oversees the worship life of the church, leading at Sunday gatherings, raising up other leaders and encouraging worship throughout the community. She plays the piano and loves to sing – as many will testify, she is rarely silent!
She has a passion to see people encounter God and be changed by Him in worship, so that worship becomes a lifestyle rather than just a song.

 

Nick Law

Born and based in Sheffield, Nick is the worship coordinator for St Thomas Crookes.

As Worship coordinator , Nick’s role at St Thomas Crookes involves raising worship leaders and developing the worship life and music ministry of the church. He is currently exploring ways of introducing new songs, investing in emerging songwriters and developing worship leaders.

Nick’s passion is to write congregational worship songs that challenge musical boundaries, convey theological truth and connect with people’s hearts and lives. He endeavors to bring fresh expressions to eternal truths, in a way that will encourage and equip others in their walk with our amazing God.

A keen music producer, Nick has written and recorded two records, Heart On Fire and Christus Victor, both available from http://nicklaw.bandcamp.com.

Nick is married to Claire, and is the father of Esther Francis Law.

 

Johnny Cassidy

Johnny was born and raised in an small fishing village, nestled in the mountains of Mourne in Northern Ireland.

He started by playing mostly hymns on the flute in his local church band; an experience which gave him a respect and reverence for hymn music. Over the years, Johnny became a passionate supporter of modern worship music through amazing worship leaders such as Robin Mark, Matt Redman and the Summer Madness worship team.

After Teddy Saunders, a man from his home church, prophetically bought him a guitar to learn and lead worship on, Johnny began worship leading.

Coming to Sheffield to study Biochemistry and Genetics at Sheffield University, Johnny was welcomed into the St Thomas Crookes family. After finishing his degree, Johnny spent a gap year on FORM, where God shaped his character and introduced him to his now wife, Liz.

Johnny loves leading worship at St Toms, and sees it as a huge privilege to lead such an amazing church full of passionate worshippers. He is deeply committed about seeing the name of Jesus lifted higher in our gatherings and being involved in worship that pleases the heart of God in Heaven.

 

Josh Gauton

All the way from Canterbury, Josh Gauton is a student at St Thomas Crookes and is currently studying architecture at Sheffield University. As the newest edition to the worship leading team, Josh primarily leads worship at the evening gathering and often leads at various events, such as School of Theology. Josh is a keen songwriter and released a digital download of ‘You Never Fail’ which you can download by clicking here.

When I Survey/You’re Beautiful [Digital EP]

At St Thomas Crookes, part of our tradition as a church is to gather together on Ash Wednesday, to mark the beginning of the season of Lent. During this year’s ashing service, the worship team led the congregation in an acoustic version of Isaac Watts’ famous hymn, ‘When I Survey The Wondrous Cross’, inter cut with the refrain of Phil Wickham’s poetic ‘You’re Beautiful’.

That evening, the Spirit of God moved powerfully through that song, and we felt it was right and fitting to record a live version. And so, at the evening gathering on Sunday 13th March, 300 worshippers came together to lift their hands, hearts and voices to the living God.

As we enter Holy Week, our hope is that this track will enable you to reflect on the sacrificial death and all consuming love of Jesus Christ. We hope it will provide you with a focus for worship as you gather together in cells and clusters, and we hope it will present you with an opportunity to share the awesome love of God through social media and the power of music.

Purchase CD | Free Digital Download | iTunes

 

Christus Victor Nick Law [CD Album/Digital Download/Free Tracks]

‘Christus Victor‘ literally means ‘Christ the Victor’. It’s easy to think of the amazing things that Jesus has overcome – death, hell, sin, eternal separation from God – pretty incredible stuff. Yet, in the 13 tracks of the album, Nick has also tried to reflect the fact that Christ is equally victorious in the more day to day, mundane detail of life. In friendships, in finance, even in facebook, Jesus is just as involved and just as victorious – if we let Him be.

Christus Victor is about all of that. It’s a record of testimonies from a real journey with God, a journey with highs, lows, and a lot of the very ordinary in between. Original artwork by Richie Wells summarises this concept excellently. Sheffield locals will spot many familiar features from the Steel City in Richie’s drawings – all of them proclaiming Christ as victor over our city and our lives.

Nick’s hope is that Christus Victor wouldn’t sound out of place alongside other, secular albums in your CD player or on your ipod. Yes, this is congregational worship music, with many songs written with our own church in mind, but Christus Victor also aims to challenge the musical norm – to push people further in their worship and to push the church’s songs out of the church and into the world, where God is waiting to build His kingdom.

Whether it’s by encouraging us to live a ‘Life Laid Down’, reminding us of our identity as children of our heavenly Father (’The Prodigal Song’) or lifting our eyes to the ultimate victory of Christ in ‘There Will Be a Day’, Christus Victor has something to offer everyone seeking to encounter the risen Christ in the midst of life.

Purchase CD | Digital Download | iTunes | Download Free Sampler

 

You Never Fail Josh Gauton [Digital Download]

Student and worship leader Josh Gauton has recently written and recorded a fantastic worship song all about the faithfulness of God.

You Never Fail speaks of the unchanging nature of God in all our circumstances and ultimately upon the cross of Jesus Christ. You can download the PDF chord sheet by clicking here.

You Never Fail by worshipone

Purchase CD | Digital Download | iTunes

 

Heart On Fire Nick Law [CD Album/Free Digital Download]

Heart On Fire is the debut e.p from Sheffield based worship leader, Nick Law, offers today’s Christian a refreshing change from conventional worship music. With heartfelt, biblically inspired lyrics and an approach that is honest as well as hopeful, Heart On Fire captures something of heaven in today’s broken world.

Soaring melodies, catchy hooks and crunching guitars combine to push the boundaries of congregational worship music, from the upbeat Higher Than I to the prayerful intimacy piano-lead Brand New Start and honesty of (Above All) I’m Needing Your Love. For a fresh sound, a fresh approach and a fresh style of contemporary worship, come and find your heart on fire.

Purchase CD | Free Digital Download | iTunes