1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Local Psalm Festivals
Cultural Values in Ministry—October 2026
Developed in partnership with the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and the Calvin University School of Graduate and Continuing Studies, this online course equips worship planners and leaders of all types of ministries with practical tools for relating well to people from a variety of cultures. Understanding and respecting cultural differences is key to a healthy ministry.
2027 Calvin Symposium on Worship
The Calvin Symposium on Worship is a conference for worshipers, pastors, artists, musicians, scholars, students, ministry leaders, and more. As an ecumenical gathering, the Symposium creates space for Christians to worship, learn, and connect with people from many cultures, contexts, and Christian traditions from across the country and around the world.
“Deconstruction” is a popular term among young people who grew up in the Christian church. In this public lecture, Robert Chao Romero will consider the challenge of widespread deconstruction while offering a hopeful path forward. Expanding on Phyllis Tickle’s analogy of the church having a rummage sale of ideas every few centuries, Romero invites us to consider the contributions of Latina/o theology and the history of the Brown Church as valuable resources for reconstruction on the other side of deconstruction.
Los salmos siempre han ocupado un lugar especial en la vida cristiana. Como predicadores, esta serie de sermones para todo el año no solo nos permite releer salmos conocidos y apreciados, sino también acercarnos a otros que conocemos poco, pero que tienen mucho para enseñarnos y desafiarnos. Sus lecciones para la vida se examinan en el contexto de quienes habitamos el mundo de habla hispana con sus singulares desafíos. La sabiduría de los salmos nos enriquece durante todo el año litúrgico cristiano.
An application-based summer seminar directed by Mark Glanville.
Join us for an evening of music and spoken word as Mark Glanville, accompanied by a jazz trio, reflects on how preaching and worship can form deeper churches in a post-Christian context. As Glanville will show, preaching and worship are designed to shape us not just as individuals, but as communities of God’s people bearing witness to Jesus in our particular neighborhoods. Further, preaching and worship form us as communities of tenderness who display the redeeming love of Jesus. This follows the pattern of the Bible, in which each book was written to nourish the ancient community of God’s people as it lived in contrast to the surrounding empires.
Anchored by an evening concert of psalm-based works, the Psalmody in Color festival includes a day of educational programming that engages scholars, musicians, clergy, and community members in dialogue about the role of psalmody in Black musical expression. Participants will encounter the psalms as a living and evolving art form rooted in scripture, shaped by history, and brought to life through the artistry of Black composers.
Organist André Knevel, of Ontario, will present a recital featuring improvisations and variations on Genevan psalm tunes by Dutch composers from the 19th century to the present. This event is offered in conjunction with the American Guild of Organists Grand Rapids chapter and is co-sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in celebration of Calvin University’s 150th anniversary.
