Ethnic and religious demographics
Many Latin American countries, such as Bolivia and Peru, have large indigenous populations. Argentina has few indigenous people left. The vast majority of people in Argentina trace their family ancestry to Europe, especially Spain and Italy.
Youth, Worship, and Faith Formation
Sunday after Sunday, year after year, young people across the country participate in worship.
Ethnodoxology: Calling all peoples to worship in their heart language
The new field of ethnodoxology affirms that there's no single best way to worship. A feature story about how God has gifted each culture with heart language and heart music rooted in a particular place, ethnicity, or experience.
Learning Worship Together: How worship change happens
Worship change works best when worship and education leaders work together, and studying worship together can lead more people to participate fully in worship. A feature story about worship formation and education in the church.
Teens and Worship: Encouraging Creative and Meaningful Worship with Teenagers
Practical suggestions, strategies, and resources to encourage vibrant, meaningful worship with teens were presented in this session.
Training and Engaging Lay Leaders of All Ages in Planning and Leading Worship
This panel of Worship Renewal Grant recipients reflected on their experiences with worship renewal and offered practical ideas to help congregations engage all worshipers from youth to the elderly Panelists were from Bridge Street AME, Brooklyn, N.Y.; South Grandville Christian Reformed Church, Grandville, Mich.; St. Luke AME Zion, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Granite Springs Church, Lincoln, Calif.
Better Together: The Call for People with and without Disabilities to Worship, Serve, Learn, and Live Alongside Each Other
This presentation addressed practical ways congregations can have a real impact on the lives of people with disabilities and their families living in their community and to make worship more accessible to everyone.
Symposium 2009 - Leadership from Inside Out
In this session, RCA general secretary Wes Granberg-Michaelson explored congregational leadership that is built on and extends from the inner spiritual lives of leaders, and explored how this relates to the dynamics of organizational change. The presentation drew from his book Leadership from Inside Out.
When God Speaks Through You
Based on his book, When God Speaks Through You, Craig Satterlee explored how "holy and active listening"—listening for God's voice speaking in and through the faith community can occur when church members talk to one another and to their pastors about preaching—and especially the faith convictions they bring to the sermon, which influence both the preaching and what is heard.
Worship, Suffering, and Justice
This workshop explored the phenomenon of vibrant worship in communities in which there is much suffering, and engages participants in discussions around meaningful worship in such settings. It also explored how social justice can be part of worship while keeping the focus on God.
Autism and Your Church
If your church is larger than 150 people, statistics say that you have members who fall on the Autism Spectrum, including Asperger Syndrome.
Kaleidoscope: Shifting Perspectives of Faith Formation, Young People, and Intergenerational Worship
This session explored how our understanding of young people and faith formation ought to enhance appreciation for worship that is intergenerational. Drawing on current resources, ideas for promoting change and exchanging ideas will outline a strategy for promoting intergenerational worship.