Learning to Lead Worship - and Listen: How One Student Found Her Calling in a New York Internship

Published: August 08, 2025

Author: Liz Dowell

It started with a red hot.

Not the spicy kind, but the kind you find on a hot dog bun in upstate New York - what locals in Fairport call their signature franks. For Greenville University senior Macy Shipman '26, a worship arts major from Hillsboro, Illinois, this slight cultural difference was just one of many surprises as she began her summer internship at Eastside Free Methodist Church.

But the bigger surprise? How much the experience would shape her understanding of ministry - and herself.

A NEW STAGE, A FAMILIAR CALLING

At Eastside, Shipman served as the worship leader intern, planning Sunday sets, printing music, organizing binders, and supporting the lead pastor, Kathryn, in pastoral care.

“I’ve already learned so much - especially about the behind-the-scenes aspects of church life,” she said.

While Macy had grown up in church, she quickly realized that being behind the pulpit meant more than knowing how to lead a song. She has now sat in board meetings, heard financial reports, and learned about the practicalities of running the church.

“There’s just so much more to leading a church than I realized,” she admitted. “And yet God is still in every one of those details.”

That realization has deepened her sense of calling - not to performance, but to presence. “It’s not about putting on a show,” Macy said. “It’s about serving people and honoring God, even when it’s messy, even when it’s mundane.”

FROM PURSUIT TO PASTORAL

Macy's musical training at GU - particularly as a member and leader of Pursuit and the Vespers team - has given her technical confidence. However, her time at Fairport has challenged her to adapt to new contexts and work with musicians of varying experience levels.

“In Pursuit, we’re mostly music majors. We can pause and get picky about a chord or a tempo,” she said. “Here, I have to remember I’m working with self-taught volunteers. I can’t be a perfectionist. I must lead with grace and it is the greatest joy of the job. To get to know different people and their music styles."

It’s a lesson in humility and hospitality - something she credits to her Greenville experience. “Vespers is why I stayed at GU,” she said. “It gave me a sense of belonging and reminded me that ministry is about meeting people where they are, not where you want them to be.”

Now a co-leader of Vespers and core president of the choir, Macy has built a legacy of leadership on campus that’s grounded in her faith and fueled by her desire to serve.

“God kept showing up in unexpected ways, like through hugs I didn’t know I needed or conversations I wasn’t ready for,” she recalled. “I want to give that same feeling of being seen and known to others.”

WHEN CALLING GETS PERSONAL

Macy’s path to ministry wasn’t always straightforward. "I wanted to be a music teacher," she said. "But during youth group one night, I just knew. God was saying, 'This is it.' I fought it. I told Him He was wrong. However, I then took a teaching class and hated every second. That’s when I realized - maybe He was right after all.”

Still, she wrestled with feeling unworthy. “I didn’t feel holy enough. I didn’t feel sanctified enough,” she said. “But God reminded me that He doesn’t call us to be perfect - He calls us to be faithful.”

That truth became real during a rough week as a camp counselor. “My cabin was struggling, I was exhausted, and I just prayed, ‘God, I need a sign.’ And then the speaker said one line - I don’t even remember what it was - but I just knew. This is what I’m supposed to do.”

Now on the path to ordination, Macy feels more certain than ever. “I want to be a worship pastor. I love working with kids, and I love leading music. But more than anything, I want to help people connect with God through worship.”

A MINISTRY OF PRESENCE

As our conversation ended, Macy reflected on the internship. "It's been an eye-opening experience of how much happens behind the scenes - and how much God is still there in every single moment," she said. "It’s teaching me to rely on the Holy Spirit, to trust God’s wisdom, and to stop trying to plan everything just to check a box. This isn’t about me. It’s about Him.”

Her voice caught with emotion. “At the end of the day, I just want to use the gifts He gave me to bring glory back to Him.”