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On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Lisa De Boer teaches art and art history at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. She’s been researching the role of visual arts in North American churches. In this edited conversation, she talks about learning to appreciate worship art that doesn’t match a personal ideal.
Do your church’s sermons disciple worshipers to love God and their neighbors with all they have? What does that love look like in your neighborhood?
David Rylaarsdam’s family celebrates their baptism birthdays every year with a simple liturgy and cake. He used this baptism birthday liturgy for his son Simon’s 11th baptism birthday.
Acting on sermons about loving your neighbors is easier if you see yourself as able to give, join others in serving, and see your loving service as an act of worship.
Elizabeth “Beth” Broschart is the pastor at First Presbyterian Church, a small congregation in Boyne City, Michigan. Before that, she pastored a small church in Pennsylvania and helped lead music in churches where her husband was the pastor. In this edited email conversation, she talks about the joys and challenges of planning music in small congregations.
You don’t need a large choir, paid staff, or huge budget to plan music for worship in your small congregation.
A lesson plan to accompany Living Worship curriculum that addresses the design and performance of Christian Initiation rites in light of the on-going life and practice of the Christian assembly.
This lecture offers some concrete suggestions as to how clergy and musicians can better work together to inspire a worship life that helps others to unwrap the gift of grace.
Mark Labberton teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary and directs its Ogilvie Institute of Preaching. He wrote The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God’s Call to Justice and The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor. In this edited conversation, he talks about why preachers are forming and joining Micah Groups.
Here Guthrie explains how his experience helps him build on Resonant Witness to explore theology and the cognitive science of music.
Steve Guthrie founded the religion and arts major at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. For the first half of 2012, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship hosted Guthrie as a visiting scholar.
I did not want to go to California. I wanted to stay home. That desire hit me hard over Christmas break as I watched people in the church I had grown up in come forward for communion.
