Visualizing Worship: Sparking conversations about worship and life
Two ideas borrowed from visual sociology researchers—photo elicitation and photovoice—are helping Christians and congregations picture their lived experiences with God.
Roman Williams on Peeling Back Layers of Meaning in Church Life
Roman Williams is a former pastor and church planter who now teaches sociology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He specializes in using visual methods to research the sociology of religion.
The Wardrobe of Easter: Gratitude
To be human is to be aware that life—one’s own life—is a sheer and undeserved gift from God. It is to revel and delight in its giftedness and to return thanks to the Giver. When the Giver hears an echo of gratitude, the circle becomes complete. Thus gratitude is an essential feature of living up to what God intended for his humans creatures when he made them.
The Wardrobe of Easter: Learning God’s Word
An essential aspect of the Christian life is listening to and obeying God's word.
The Wardrobe of Easter: White-Hot with Purpose
St. Paul calls followers of Jesus Christ who have been resurrected with him to live far better. They must be well-ordered in their priorities and white-hot in their motivation.
Understanding the Battle Between the Flesh and the Spirit
Dallas Willard discusses Galatians 5 about what it means to live by the Spirit and how doing so conflicts with the sinful nature that clings to us.
Cultivating Congregational Hospitality
An exploration of some ways that Christian congregations, depending upon the Spirit’s empowering presence, can become generous, welcoming places for tired, thirsty travelers, both guest and host alike, to refresh and bring blessing to one another and thus serve as signposts of the Gospel.
Show, Don't Tell: Keeping Sermons Vivid
Throughout the average week people talk about their lives and their families and their work through stories about whosaid what, how a certain event came about, and what something looked like and felt like when it happened. But too oftenon Sundays preachers present sermons that are short on vivid stories and long on description and the doling out of facts.In this workshop those who preach sermons and those who listen to sermons will explore both why vividness in sermons is vital and some ideas on how to make this happen in sermons as well.
El culto como discipulado
El culto es una experiencia comunitaria integral, que de manera explícita o aún inconsciente, contribuye a modelar el carácter y la identidad de cada participante.
Growing Congregational Health for Teens to Thrive
This workshop explored ways in which a congregation can present an atmosphere that welcomes and encourages teens.
Deepening a Congregation’s Ability to Talk about Worship, Pt. 1
We will explore what we can learn from the challenges and gifts of two churches of the recent past, Christ Temple in Jim Crow racism-laced Jackson, Mississippi, and the Anaheim Vineyard Fellowship in the late 1970s.
Deepening a Congregation’s Ability to Talk about Worship, Pt.2
We will explore what we can learn from the challenges and gifts of two churches of the recent past, Christ Temple in Jim Crow racism-laced Jackson, Mississippi, and the Anaheim Vineyard Fellowship in the late 1970s.