Apply for the Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants Program to support and enhance Christian worship practices. We encourage proposals on universal design, cultural engagement, preaching, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and more. Two grant streams are available.
Join us for our Symposium on Worship and Summer Seminars. Engage in inspiring sessions, workshops, and intensive seminars to deepen your understanding and practice of Christian worship.
Los salmos nos acompañan en el diario vivir y nos capacitan para enfrentar todo tipo de situación y desafío
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.
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin University advances Christian worship through resources, events, and grants. Since 1997, we have partnered with congregations and organizations to fulfill our mission.
These video excerpts come from a conversation between William A. Dyrness and John D. Witvliet at the annual Calvin Institute of Christian Worship—CICW—grants colloquium in June 2019.
The hour-long conversation included discussions about developments in theology and arts over the last few decades, how people experience the arts in worship, and insights from Dyrness’s many books.
Dyrness said his interest in teaching theology and the arts predated most institutions’ readiness to address the topic. After earning his doctor of theology degree from the University of Strasbourg in France, he sent letters to many institutions to inquire about teaching theology and the arts. “I think I mystified people,” he said. Instead he served for years as a youth pastor, a missionary to the Philippines at Asian Theological Seminary, and dean at Fuller Theological Seminary.
In 2000, about the same time he joined the CICW grants advisory board, Dyrness finally got the chance to teach theology, culture, and the arts at Fuller’s new Brehm Center. His book Visual Faith: Art, Theology, and Worship in Dialogue came out in November 2001. "My teaching and writing since then has been informed in part by CICW. Reading grant applications is like doing on-the-ground research," he said in his June 2019 conversation with Witvliet.
Dyrness said that when he first began evaluating worship grant proposals, few involved the arts. In the most recent round, however, nearly a third of proposals dealt with worship and visual arts.
Dyrness recommends that Christians and churches use the full range of their God-given gifts as well as learning from non-Christians such as Colm Tóibín, whose powerful novel The Testament of Mary can help Christians think deeply about how to portray her.
A workshop which shows participants how to preach genre-conscious sermons from the book of Psalms. Attention will be given to historical, literary, and theological issues with the aim of improving hermeneutical, generical, and homiletical practice. Participants, including hearers of sermons, will expand their knowledge of the psalms as a genre, develop genre-conscious forms and structures, and cultivate new strategies for homiletical practice.
Drawing inspiration from Revelation 7:9, Terry and Darlene Wildman will lead this workshop exploring how the First Nations Version: Psalms speaks into—and flows out from—the hearts of Indigenous North American cultures today through storytelling, songs, and interactive activities. Participants will experience how these ancient prayers continue to inspire worship that celebrates cultural diversity and unity in Creator’s Sacred Family.
Local Songwriting as CSA: Support Your Local Psalm Grower!
Riffing on the themes of community-supported agriculture (CSA), Cardiphonia and Bellwether Arts have been partnering with homegrown liturgical artists to create local, organically produced fruits of the psalms through song, art, and prayer—community-supported artistry. Since 2015 they’ve been on a journey of seasonal engagement through which they have lovingly harvested almost two hundred songs, dozens of original artworks, and other liturgical produce. In this workshop you will hear from a variety of growers who sow and reap in West Michigan in various soils and sediments.
A workshop which shows participants how to preach genre-conscious sermons from the book of Psalms. Attention will be given to historical, literary, and theological issues with the aim of improving hermeneutical, generical, and homiletical practice. Participants, including hearers of sermons, will expand their knowledge of the psalms as a genre, develop genre-conscious forms and structures, and cultivate new strategies for homiletical practice.
Drawing inspiration from Revelation 7:9, Terry and Darlene Wildman will lead this workshop exploring how the First Nations Version: Psalms speaks into—and flows out from—the hearts of Indigenous North American cultures today through storytelling, songs, and interactive activities. Participants will experience how these ancient prayers continue to inspire worship that celebrates cultural diversity and unity in Creator’s Sacred Family.
Local Songwriting as CSA: Support Your Local Psalm Grower!
Riffing on the themes of community-supported agriculture (CSA), Cardiphonia and Bellwether Arts have been partnering with homegrown liturgical artists to create local, organically produced fruits of the psalms through song, art, and prayer—community-supported artistry. Since 2015 they’ve been on a journey of seasonal engagement through which they have lovingly harvested almost two hundred songs, dozens of original artworks, and other liturgical produce. In this workshop you will hear from a variety of growers who sow and reap in West Michigan in various soils and sediments.
The psalms present a world full of color, texture, and depth. Join us for this panel discussion in which participants explore the contribution of visual artists to our experience of the psalms. What do visual artists see when they approach the psalms? How can visual artists help form our theological imaginations? What role do the visual arts play in interpretation? This stimulating discussion aims to equip worshipers and leaders with resources for engaging the rich visual imagery of the psalms.
