1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
You might not think often about the land your church sits on or the community beyond your church property. But finding ways to learn local history and include it in worship may help church members become more faithful disciples, more meaningfully draw near to God, and reach people who are disconnected from the church.
Christians who see themselves as "people of the book" read about the Word made flesh. They may treasure "I Love to Tell the Story" in their hymnals yet feel skeptical of Christians who prefer to express and pass on faith through oral culture. A Nigerian worship scholar explains the benefits of oral practices in church worship.
Jared E. Alcántara, Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, and Lis Valle explore how their shared Latinx identity shapes the way they preach. They define the sermon performed latinamente as an improvisational, interactive, and transformative event embodied in community.
In this paper, Jared Alcántara proposes a twenty-first century preaching pedagogy that he describes as “a turn toward improvisational teaching that is technologically innovative, intentionally collaborative, and strategically diverse.”
Both church planters and established congregations can explore spiritual histories of their church neighborhoods. This helps them better communicate the gospel in the places where God calls them to serve.
2020 Symposium on Worship | Vesper
2020 Symposium on Worship | Vesper
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.
This choral reading of Romans 5:1-5 is adapted for up to 9 ensemble members.
This choral reading of Luke 15:11-32 is adapted for 3 ensemble members.
This choral reading of 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 is adapted for 2 presenters.
This choral reading of Psalm 150 is adapted for up to 20 ensemble members.
