1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
We live in an age of mass incarceration. Although the United States makes up approximately five percent of the world’s population, the U.S. incarcerates nearly 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. As Christians, how should we address mass incarceration in the U.S.? This seminar explored the powerful effect two ministries are having at the Richard Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan.
Ten years ago, Celebration Fellowship Church was planted behind bars at Handlon. For a decade, this church has grown in numbers and in Christian community, helping to transform Handlon from the inside out. Nearly five years ago, Calvin Seminary and Calvin University started the Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI), which offers inmates a chance to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Faith and Community Leadership and provides Christian and moral leadership in prisons. Together these ministries allow inmates to move from worship to the classroom and back again and build a Christian worldview that equips them to be agents of renewal across the prison, powerfully transforming the prison culture. Additional participants joined the discussion, including author and pastor Dominique DuBois Gilliard, and others from Celebration Fellowship and the CPI program.
A podcast from Calvin University featuring thoughtful leaders discussing key topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the context of Christian life and witness.
Come and join a conversation with knowledgeable and experienced preachers and worship planners as we talk about our best practices for Holy Week worship planning. Bring your questions and ideas as we share and learn together.
Music and prayer are prominent elements in worship liturgy. How does the culture of the worship community influence these worship practices? How should we engage culture and yet be countercultural in our practice of music and prayer? Engage with this panel from four continents as we explore how cultural values form and inform worship practices.
A podcast from Calvin University featuring thoughtful leaders discussing key topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the context of Christian life and witness.
Come and join a conversation with knowledgeable and experienced preachers and worship planners as we talk about our best practices for Holy Week worship planning. Bring your questions and ideas as we share and learn together.
Music and prayer are prominent elements in worship liturgy. How does the culture of the worship community influence these worship practices? How should we engage culture and yet be countercultural in our practice of music and prayer? Engage with this panel from four continents as we explore how cultural values form and inform worship practices.
Congregations, pastors, and parents/caregivers have many opportunities to join together in worship and prayer practices that more intentionally engage children and help them come to know and love God and grow in faith together. Panelists will discuss ways to intentionally create intergenerational community in which people of all ages, including children, are welcomed as full participants whose participation enriches the community and gives praise to God.
