Constance Cherry on Small Church Worship and Identity
Small churches sometimes feel weak or irrelevant. Intentional worship practices can help them discover their value before God and to the community.
February 15, 2019
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7 min read
Constance Cherry on Competing Metaphors for Worship
Most churches measure worship services against a certain ideal. They may think of worship like a concert, entertainment, dialogue, or something else. Even if they have not consciously chosen an operating metaphor for worship, their pattern greatly influences how individuals and congregations live out their faith.
February 15, 2019
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6 min read
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.
February 13, 2019
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7 min read
Birgitta Johnson on Praise and Worship Music
Praise and worship music can lift worshipers’ hearts to God and unite people across culture, religious tradition, and background. But the genre is not meant to be the only kind of music in a congregation’s repertoire.
January 7, 2019
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7 min read
Birgitta Johnson on New African American Ecumenical Hymnal
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism is a new Protestant hymnal compiled by a core committee of worship arts ministers and scholars. It goes deep and wide into the multiple streams of black Christian music and worship.
January 7, 2019
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6 min read
Amanda Benckhuysen on Preaching from the Minor Prophets
Most congregations have never heard a sermon preached from the prophetic books of Nahum or Obadiah. Other than a few choice passages in Jeremiah or Isaiah, the major prophets are mainly ignored too. That means worshipers are missing out on more than a quarter of inspired Scripture.
December 12, 2018
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7 min read
Rosa Cándida Ramírez y Analisse Reyes comentan sobre cantar coritos
Cantar coritos - cantos breves - en español e inglés en el culto ofrece hospitalidad y facilita que la congregación aprenda nuevos conceptos sobre quién es Dios.
December 4, 2018
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8 min read
Four Types of Advent and Christmas Eve Services: Which Have You Tried?
Experimenting with a different Advent or Christmas Eve worship format may help worshipers connect with the joy and wonder of Christ’s birth. Blue Christmas, Christmas pageants, Las Posadas, or lessons and carols make room for emotions, movement, culture, and people’s gifts.
November 15, 2018
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11 min read
Joyce Ann Zimmerman on 14 Years of Evaluating Vital Worship Grants
During her 14 years on Calvin Institute of Christian Worship’s Grants Advisory Board, Joyce Ann Zimmerman evaluated 1,345 grant proposals. She describes essentials of a good grant project.
November 9, 2018
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5 min read
Mental Illness and Christian Worship
This topic showcase highlights resources for including people with mental illnesses in worship. Congregations that renew their worship to become more inclusive discover that everyone benefits.
October 30, 2018
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8 min read
Mental Illnesses and the Church’s Calling
This topic showcase highlights resources to help churches reclaim their role in including and befriending people who live with mental illnesses.
October 29, 2018
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6 min read
Rosa Cándida Ramírez and Analisse Reyes on Singing Coritos
Singing coritos {short songs} in Spanish and English is hospitable in worship. It also opens up worshipers to new understandings of God.
October 23, 2018
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7 min read
