1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
As Jesus told the disciples at the Last Supper, in this world we will have trouble. Here's how preaching can encourage believers to take heart. A feature story exploring how congregations can hear God's voice despite change and trials.
As those who led worship at the Reformed Ecumenical Council Assembly learned, global worship involves a lot more than tossing in a song from another country or culture. A feature story exploring Global Worship.
Many churches devote far more planning and worship service time to music, the sermon, and other service elements than they do to public Scripture reading. A feature story exploring the importance of Scripture memorization and public reading.
New churches attract more newcomers than established congregations do--which means they must go out of their way to help people understand what they're doing during worship. These lessons in how to talk with and about God during worship can benefit any church. A feature story exploring worship in new churches and how to develop a faith vocabulary.
At The River Community Church in Edmonton, Alberta, pastors Karen Wilk and Bruce Gritter find that using multisensory or multigenerational elements makes messages easier to remember.
Music shapes belief. Even people who've lost other memories or speech often remember songs. That's why it's important to choose worship music that fully expresses your church's theology. A feature story exploring the importance of music theology.
Meeting at Hampton with people from several denominations reminds conferees how many ways they can praise God through music. Besides singing through several genres in morning and evening worship services, conferees and visitors enjoy anthems, hymns, spirituals, contemporary gospel, and new arrangements of old favorites at the annual Charles Herbert Flax Memorial Concert.
Whether you have musical gifts to pass on or want to improve those you have, you know how important mentoring is for church musicians. And good training helps church musicians enrich worshipers' experiences.
Why do so many Koreans convert to Christianity? And why is it so difficult to pass on this faith to children and grandchildren? A feature story exploring Korean American churches and how their faith is passed down from generation to generation.
Call it "the preacher's friend." Certain types of visual art are especially good for helping people worship because they direct attention beyond the artist or artwork to God. A feature story exploring art that preaches.
Theologically serious song writers are acknowledging Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in contemporary songs that unite head and heart. A feature story exploring how contemporary music is maturing theologically.
Can the world still use new worship songs? Yes. Does their worth depend on how much they sound like other songs or how many people hear and sing them? No.
