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
Change is always happening in the church, whether we like it or not! The challenge for leaders is to manage that change in ways that lead to greater health in their congregations, rather than conflict and discontent.
A glimpse into the training involved to prepare students to lead worship.
The topic of the book Christian Worship Worldwide is endlessly interesting, profoundly instructive, and unmanageably large. The scope is nothing short of the worship practices of the world's two billion Christians.
Who is invited to plan worship? What spiritual gifts need to be included on the planning team? How can the planning team leader facilitate conversation among diverse voices?
The journey to good preaching is as filled with twists and turns as a Rocky Mountain highway. Stan Mast is a veteran road warrior who shares hard-won insights into what it takes to become a good preacher. Special attention is paid to the sharp-tongued critics who can drive aspiring preachers off the road.
How should we think about the relationship between the local church and parachurch ministries, especially in regard to worship practices? These and other questions will be considered by a panel of scholars and parachurch leaders.
Based on the book Parenting in the Pew, this session considered ways the church and home can work together to train children for participation in worship with the intergenerational community.
"If we only had / could ..." can become too common a phrase in smaller congregations. This session equipped and encouraged even the smallest congregation --or small group within a larger community-- to design and experience deep, joy-filled worship using everything God has given them and requiring nothing more.
The way in which we worship and express faith must remain supple and open to the change necessary to be heard in an changing world.
For the last fifteen years LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church has welcomed children to the Lord’s table by means of a Table Fellowship liturgy.
How can we worship so that God’s perfect love overcomes all we’re afraid of?
"People fear the unknown above all. You lie awake worrying about what might happen," says Greg Scheer, minister of worship at Church of the Servant in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Worship changes often make people fear they'll lose power, feel discomfort, or watch meaningful traditions erode.
