Resource Search Results

Suzanne L. Vinson on Congregations Creating Liturgical Language

Grace Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, often invites members to write words used in worship. They've found that crafting liturgical language, such as calls to worship or stewardship and psalm or song paraphrases, is an easy way to help more people participate in worship and congregational life.

Article | May 23, 2022

Carol Arend on the Art of Accompaniment

Accompanying people on their faith journey is an art that can be learned, according to Pope Francis. When St. Thomas More Catholic Community committed itself to the art of accompaniment, it learned principles that nearly any worship community can apply, Catholic or not.

Conversation | February 14, 2022

Jon Terry and Liuan Huska on Liturgies of Restoration

Au Sable Institute developed its Liturgies of Restoration workbook to help university students in summer field science courses connect Christian worship and creation care. Now small groups and churches are using the workbook to cultivate habits of worship, community, earthkeeping, purposeful stewardship, and hope.

Conversation | January 05, 2022

Paul Turner on Presiding Artfully at Mass

In his new book, Ars Celebrandi, Paul Turner writes that “a well-prepared and celebrated liturgy is the church’s best response to crisis.” He offers fresh principles for how a priest’s presiding style can help the faithful participate more actively in the Mass.

Conversation | March 18, 2021

Faith Communities and Safe Dwelling Places

Philosopher and author Lee Hardy noticed derelict buildings near his church for decades before realizing that faith-based communities have valuable resources to address the affordable housing crisis.

Feature Story | March 01, 2021

Lee Hardy on Housing, Justice, and Worship

Completing a grant project on faith communities and affordable housing convinced Lee Hardy that justice and worship are internally linked. That’s why he says worship services should include housing justice, and Christians and congregations should advocate to change unjust systems.

Conversation | March 01, 2021

Matthew Kaemingk and Cory B. Willson on Work and Worship

Many of us feel guilty for thinking about work during gathered worship. We don’t see a connection between what we do in worship and what we do at work. But a new book on work and worship describes biblical worship practices that help workers reclaim their place in the priesthood of all believers.

Conversation | December 03, 2020

Work and Worship: Reconnecting Our Labor and Liturgy

We warmly encourage you to engage the book chapter content by posting your insights and wisdom on this page and to read and reflect on the responses posted by others. We look forward to being a global learning community.

Book Excerpt | December 02, 2020

Liturgy as the Church's Primary Teaching Tool?!

2020 Calvin Symposium on Worship | Workshop

Audio | February 07, 2020

Billy Kluttz on Paperless Liturgy and Music

Sometimes not providing written or projected words and notes is the best way to make liturgy truly the work of the people. Paperless liturgy and paperless music can be great tools for including all ages and abilities in worship.

Conversation | January 08, 2020

Intergenerational Worship Model Based on Scripture and Story

Residents of senior living communities often feel cut off from church life. Meanwhile, congregations often feel segregated by age. This participatory intergenerational worship model brings people together around Scripture and life stories.

Feature Story | January 06, 2020

Tim Shapiro on How Your Congregation Learns

Many congregations suspect they need to change but don’t know how. Tim Shapiro’s book describes eight steps that healthy congregations can take to learn together. These learning journey stages have parallels to elements of Christian worship.

Conversation | November 12, 2019

The Lord's Supper Liturgy

Lord's Supper liturgy that includes children asking questions.

Resource Guide | October 08, 2019

Four Ways to Mentor Worship Leaders

Four church leaders describe how they train and mentor worship leaders in their contexts. They try to identify gifts and to make room for everyone no matter their immigration status, age, or gender.

Feature Story | August 16, 2019

Derek Elmi-Buursma on Communion and Context

Whether you call it Communion, Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, or something else, you may wonder how to connect this sacrament with real life. Learn how one small urban congregation creates eucharistic liturgies for living in a broken world.

Conversation | June 04, 2019

Round Three: Ordination Best Practices for Priests, Ministers, Elders, and Deacons

For our final round of ordination resources, we consulted five experts from five more traditions. Their best practices will help you understand the significance of ordaining people as bishops, priests, ministers, elders, and deacons.

Feature Story | March 14, 2019

Worship that Cares for People Pastorally

You may think of pastoral care mainly as personal visits to someone’s hospital room or home. But Howard Vanderwell wrote that the entire worship service has “powerful potential for caring for worshipers’ needs.” His book Caring Worship: Helping Worship Leaders Provide Pastoral Care through the Liturgy explains how.

Feature Story | February 13, 2019