The Long Prayer: Offering Prayers in Public Worship
Whether pre-written, extemporaneous, or a combination, the prayer offered in worship on Sunday morning is probably the longest single prayer most people hear all week. As pastors and worship leaders, our public prayers reveal much about our habits of mind even as those prayers have a shaping influence on how the congregation prays all week. This workshop looked at the place of prayer in public worship and will offer practical suggestions for offering prayers that are theologically imaginative and pastorally sensitive.
January 1, 2008
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59 min listen
Intergenerational Worship: Is It Reasonable? Is It Possible?
In this presentation, several contributors to the recent book The Church of All Ages: Generations Worshiping Together explored the issues involved, highlighted some of the findings, and stimulated further reflection.
January 1, 2008
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56 min listen
Creating a Child-Friendly Culture in Your Church
To help children grow in faith we want our churches to be places where they are nurtured and where they feel that they have a place. We will look at things that churches can do to become more child friendly and encourage faith-nurturing adult-child relationships.
January 1, 2008
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61 min listen
Vertical Habits: Practical Wisdom for Teaching Worship
A panel of pastors and artists shared resources created by their congregations to teach "Vertical Habits," and described the fruit that developed in all areas of congregational life.
January 1, 2008
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57 min listen
Reclaiming Funerals as Christian Worship
While funerals have often been seen as family affairs or private activities, the fact is that death impacts entire communities: both the faith community and the community at large.
January 1, 2008
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54 min listen
The Crisis of Adult Discipleship
This workshop discussed what Dallas Willard calls the "elephant in the church" - the general failure of training adult Christians to be dedicated followers of Jesus Christ.
January 1, 2008
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67 min listen
Planning Worship for the Global Village
21st-century worship planners are faced with unique exciting challenges as the church answers the Spirit's call to be a place where all nations and cultures are invited to join in praise.
January 1, 2008
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62 min listen
Symposium 2008 - Blended Worship: Good for the Body
The best argument for blended worship is that the body of Christ by definition is itself blended - therefore our services should reflect that reality.
January 1, 2008
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56 min listen
Baptism and the Transformation of Youths' Vocational Imaginations
This session explored, first, the relationship between Baptismal theology and vocation, and second, a variety of pedagogies designed to invite youth to imagine faithfully their unfolding futures with God.
January 1, 2008
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59 min listen
War and Religion in America
American historian James Bratt will explore the alternative destinations in style, ritual, and spirituality which the antebellum pilgrims sought and found on the road out of revivalism. Liturgical scholar Lester Ruth will respond and discuss analogies on the worship scene in the 21st century, especially noting the recurring popular impulse for alternate forms of worship.
January 1, 2008
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67 min listen
Panel Discussion on Church Art Galleries
There continues to be a growing interest in church visual art galleries, exhibitions, and educational opportunities related to art within our churches.
January 1, 2008
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69 min listen
Seeing Your Congregation with Expert Eyes: Culture, Race, Ethnicity
In an update from their Symposium session in 2007, five Calvin College social scientists describe what they've learned through in-depth analysis of congregational and worship life.
January 1, 2008
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53 min listen
