Resource Search Results

Eric Washington on God’s Sovereignty and Slavery

Sometimes it’s awkward for Christians of different cultures to talk together about God’s presence in slavery. Eric Washington provides a way forward.

Conversation | April 24, 2015

Eric Washington on African American Missionaries

Before William Carey founded a mission society, or Adoniram and Ann Judson sailed to Burma, a former African American slave had already become a missionary to Jamaica.

Conversation | April 24, 2015

The Most Important Word in Preaching

Since the inception of the New Homiletic in the 1970s, preachers have been experimenting with inductive and narrative forms of preaching, thanks to the likes of Fred Craddock and Eugene Lowry. The idea is for sermons to engage people, create an experience of the biblical text.

Audio | February 20, 2015

David Bailey on Reconciliation and Worship Response Times

A few years ago, East End Fellowship, a multicultural Presbyterian congregation in Richmond, VA, started an urban songwriting internship and a gospel choir to reflect its congregational values of incarnation and reconciliation.

Conversation | November 20, 2014

David Bailey on How Story Unifies Worshipers

Musician David M. Bailey is the music director at East End Fellowship, a multicultural Presbyterian congregation in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia.

Conversation | November 11, 2013

Learning Worship through Book Groups

How studying a book or sermons together in a small group knits church members together in worship, fellowship, and discipleship.

Feature Story | January 05, 2012

Congregational and Ministry Studies: How any Academic Major Can Bless the Church

Calvin College’s new Congregational and Ministry Studies department helps students explore how their gifts and interests intersect with the work of the church in serving God’s kingdom.

Feature Story | August 09, 2011

Peace that Passes Understanding: Communion and Intellectual Disability

It turns out that what helps churches include people with cognitive impairments in communion is good advice for everyone.

Feature Story | March 01, 2011

Enter the Drama of God's Story

Entering the biblical narrative requires looking at the story you actually live by and pondering why God gave the Bible as a sprawling story.

Feature Story | July 09, 2010

The Sermon and the Short Story

Preachers are always searching for illustrations, and if you know where to look, short stories are an excellent resource.

Audio | March 23, 2010

Preaching the Great Stories of Genesis

An absentee father with a son of blistering hate; a frightened man pimping his wife; a penniless mother left to die; a husband beaten down by his wily woman. The stories from Genesis read like last night's news.

Audio | March 22, 2010

Parables: Reflecting their multiple meanings in preaching and music

Jesus told parables that were far more than simple stories with one heavenly meaning. Here's how preachers, musicians, and worship leaders can plan parable-based worship that lingers in people's lives.

Feature Story | January 08, 2010

Science and Faith in Harmony: Positive ways to include science in worship

Deborah Haarsma and Scott Hoezee explain how worship that honors God as Creator can defuse culture wars between science and faith.

Feature Story | November 04, 2009

Finding Stories for Sunday's Sermon

Although sermon preparation involves lots of steps-everything from selecting a text to embodying the sermon on Sunday-the search for meaningful illustrative material during the week is often the most frustrating.

Audio | January 01, 2008

Biblical Storytelling: Learning scripture by heart

Biblical storytelling reconnects worshipers with the communal experience of hearing God together. A feature story exploring biblical story telling and learning the scriptures by heart.

Feature Story | February 09, 2007

Stories that Preach

This workshop discussed how contemporary short stories from writers such as Flannery O'Connor, Doris Betts, and Raymond Carver resonate with New Testament themes and how such stories might help preachers find ways to relate contemporary themes to their listeners.

Audio | January 01, 2007