1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Drawing from Psalms, Colossians, Revelation, and the global church, Carlos Colón invites us to write texts and songs of lament, protest, and hope. We will examine ways to give voice in our worship and prayer gatherings to our pain, our questions, and our desire for deep hope and the healing of all creation. We will examine songs with these themes in the "Santo, Santo, Santo / Holy, Holy, Holy" hymnal and in classical and contemporary sources.
Vivid imagery, compelling stories, perceptive exegesis, pastoral sensibilities, theological clarity, cultural fittingness--each of these gifts contributes immensely to compelling, transformative preaching. Compelling preaching features the dynamic interplay of each of these strengths. This conversation will explore how these dynamic interactions come about, how we cultivate them, and how the practice of polishing, and studying, exemplary sermons can stretch not only award-winning authors but also those of us struggling to shape compelling sermons for people who may not always seem to appreciate it.
What does it mean to be religious? Spiritual? How does a sense of place, identity, culture, and embodied engagement relate to a young person’s sense of belonging to Christ’s church, including the public worship gathering? We will explore these questions and share stories about how young people actively participate in the life of the church.
A lot has been written about the importance of Sunday liturgies and their role in forming the life and worldview of worshipers. This session will focus on helping Christians identify the rituals and liturgies in their workplaces and daily lives and discern how to reform, reject, or reconstruct new rituals that facilitate tangible expressions of love for God, neighbor, and creation.
A panel of Calvin Seminary faculty with a variety of research and ministry experiences will reflect on the practice of lament. What are the different faces of lament? What is the goal of lament? How can pastoral leaders facilitate lament? What does lament reveal about the nature of God and what it means to be human? Those attending the panel will also be able to raise questions and join the discussion.
Come learn and sing through a selection of choral pieces for use in worship. Packets provided by GIA Publications, Inc.
María Eugenia Cornou introduces the cultural value of power distance and how it shapes societies and organizations.
María Eugenia Cornou invites reflection on how power distance impacts the role of the preacher, how scripture is viewed and interpreted, and the act of preaching.
In this video series, María Eugenia Cornou defines the cultural value of power distance and the implications of low-power and high-power distance contexts for preaching and teaching.
María Eugenia Cornou invites reflection on how power distance impacts the dynamics between teachers and students, teaching contexts, and assignments.
Seven pastoral leaders—pastors, reconcilers, preachers, and scholars—offer insights from their unique contexts on the greatest opportunities and challenges for ministry work now.
Mark Charles shares two perceptions of time and how they impact our cultural understanding of a worship service.
