1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Two hymn writers and collaborators, one Roman Catholic and one Protestant, representing different generations, explore how the demographic, ethnic and denominational differences of contemporary American culture offer challenges and opportunities in crafting new, relevant and faithful song for Christian communities.
This seminar explores a rich variety of music that reflects deeply on the life of Jesus, and it is appropriate for any service based on one of the four New Testament gospels, including some songs that focus on "telling the story," others that are adept at "unpacking the meaning of the story," and still others that "help us see ourselves taken up into the story."
A bilingual pilgrimage of songs and prayers that trace the life of Jesus and testify to healing and transformation which Jesus' ministry continues to bring through the Holy Spirit.
In North America, we have a splendid opportunity in the years and decades ahead to learn to sing bilingually, transcending a language divide in ways that help us all learn and grow together as we discover scripturally inspired songs from a variety of contexts and cultures.
A worship service held at Worship Symposium 2017
An annotated research guide from the field of practical theology, focusing on pastoral care and the African American experience
A worship service held at Worship Symposium 2017
There are many challenges and opportunities to liturgy and proclamation in a multicultural and multi-generational context. This session seeks to unpack both a theology and practice for this ministry.
Sandra Van Opstal gives her plenary address at Worship Symposium 2017.
How does music express and form a congregation’s identity? How can that identity be defined and shaped by the relationships it seeks to nurture and the mission it seeks to promote?
One of the remarkable stories about music that has emerged out of African-American communities is its reception in communities of diverse cultural backgrounds all over the world.
What changes when a person hears God’s Word in their own language as opposed to their second or third language? How does the translation of key theological terms into a person's mother tongue change their understanding?
