Presenting the 40 Collective: Baylor’s newest worship leadership team

The 40 Collective is a new worship leadership team made up of Church Music students with a desire to grow in contemporary worship leadership skills. This year, 40 Collective has plans to travel to serve at church services and other worship gatherings – and they’re available to hire! Dr. Shannan Baker, Postdoctoral Fellow in Music and Digital Humanities, provides leadership for the group as part of her work in the Dunn CCMS. We sat down with Shannan to hear about the history and vision. 

Shannan 40 Headshot

How did the 40 Collective come to be? 

Without the students’ desire to led worship and wanting to learn more, the 40 Collective would not exist. In 2023, I started contemporary worship workshops for students where we introduced them to various aspects of band music making and technology. We met in a small rehearsal space on campus called Roxy Grove 40 (RG40).  After spending time once a month making music together and learning, the students wanted to continue. So, I pitched the idea for us to become a worship ensemble with weekly rehearsals and opportunities to lead worship in the community. 

The 40 Collective gets its name from the space where it all started – Roxy Grove 40.  However, the number 40 proved to be a relevant title for other reasons. The number 40 is found throughout the Bible demonstrating various seasons of waiting, testing, or nearness with God.  For this group of undergraduate and graduate students, the name reflects the ever-changing seasons of life. 

Tell us about the group’s purpose and values. 

First, we exist to bless the church community.  The 40 Collective is available to lead for retreats, youth groups, and other church events – for free!  At the same time, these students are gaining valuable experience in leading worship in contemporary contexts.  At Baylor, church music students receive many opportunities to sing in choirs, but the 40 Collective provides a unique opportunity for them to lead in a band context. 

This group is designed to be a safe space for students to grow and learn more about contemporary worship.  We desire musical excellence and spiritual maturity. We spend time in prayer and in the Word before each rehearsal, which sets our minds on why we are spending time learning how to play and lead the songs well.


Several of the students in the group this year have been participating in the workshops from the beginning. Ruth Edwards, a junior minoring in Church Music, shared what the 40 Collective means to her.

Ruth Edwards 40

When I first came to Baylor, I didn't know how big of a role the Church Music department would play in my life. I came in as a Computer Science student, and I really didn't start getting to know anyone outside of my major or its related fields for a while. However, when I saw the flyer for Contemporary Worship Workshops, I jumped at the opportunity. Having a background leading worship at a more traditional church, I had always really wanted to gain experience with more contemporary styles. To put it less formally, being a part of a contemporary worship band had always been a dream of mine, as silly as that may sound. The best way I can explain it is that I hear on the radio (or, more accurately, on Spotify) these worship songs with full bands and changing dynamics and builds. To me, this contemporary worship sound just seemed unachievable. Again, as silly as that may sound.

And, having been a part of 40 for two full years now, I can definitely say that this experience has been one of my favorites throughout my time at Baylor. I started out, during freshman year, as a vocalist. However, I later switched over and joined the band, playing acoustic guitar, which I had experience leading with back home. Then, during one of our workshops with guest speaker Jessica Stropko, I switched again to electric, which I never really had any experience with at all. Throughout this time, it has been an extremely rewarding experience learning different styles of playing and learning a different style of an already familiar instrument, if not a whole new instrument. I've learned so much about how each of the individual instruments function together as a whole. I’ve gained a better understanding of how what each of the instruments is playing can effect the sound as a whole. I'm so grateful for this opportunity also to gain familiarity on electric guitar, especially, because I think electric and its role in a band has previously been mostly a mystery to me. 

As much as I could go on and on about all that learned being a part of 40, what truly makes it 40 is the people. I remember when I first joined, I felt a little awkward because I’m not a music major. Now I can say I’ve met some of my closest friends being in 40, as well as two of my roommates. This is a group of people with various backgrounds that simply love to worship, and I love having this set time in the week to praise God alongside them. 


Alyssa Nimocks

Alyssa Nimocks, a senior majoring in Church Music, also shared what the 40 Collective has meant to her throughout her studies at Baylor.

40 feels like a really special thing. We joke that only a few of us even know where our practice room is located in the recesses of Waco Hall, so it feels like a fun secret club.

I joined as a freshman hoping to find further community with people who love to do what I love to do and help make each other better – that’s exactly how I would describe 40! Personally, 40 Collective has given me a space to decompress during the week and to make music and worship without the pressure of a grade. We can gather and laugh and talk about our weeks while also honing our craft in a close setting.


40 Collective Circle

If you would like the 40 Collective to lead worship for your church, youth group or other event, please send an email to Shannan_Baker@baylor.edu. Anywhere within driving distance of Waco is a possibility!

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