Intergenerational

A Pastor and Photographer on Creating "God Moments" in Worship

When the pandemic prevented in-person worship, First Church of Windsor, Connecticut, learned how to create liturgical art installations and videos that moved hearts and minds even during virtual and hybrid worship.

June 13, 2022
Suzanne L. Vinson on Congregations Creating Liturgical Language

Grace Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, often invites members to write words used in worship. They've found that crafting liturgical language, such as calls to worship or stewardship and psalm or song paraphrases, is an easy way to help more people participate in worship and congregational life.

May 23, 2022
Writing Hymnkus—Haiku Poetry Set to Music—for Christian Worship

Your congregation can make worship the work of the people when you use their words in worship. The hymnku form—haiku poetry set to music—works for in-person, hybrid, and online worship and can involve many ages.

May 23, 2022

Benjamin T. Conner on Friendship and Hospitality that Embraces Youth with Developmental Disabilities

Practical theologian Benjamin T. Conner encourages and challenges congregations and pastors to reorient ministry with youth to fully include and amplifiy the witness of adolescents with developmental disabilities.

May 17, 2022
Amy Adamczyk on the Influence of Parents in the Religious Lives of Their Children

Sociologists Amy Adamczyk and Christian Smith co-authored the book "Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation," which explores the research results of more than 200 interview with US parents exploring intergenerational transmission of religious faith and practice between the generations.

May 17, 2022

Sarah Farmer on Courageous Hope in Youth

Practical theologian Sarah F. Farmer offers four promising pathways for African American youth to strengthen capacity for hope infused with courage in the life of the church and community.

May 17, 2022
Engaging in Learning, Growing in Faith

As part of the 35th annual Calvin Symposium on Worship in Feb. 2022, twenty guests spoke with about 200 students in various courses and student organizations about the relationship between public worship and their areas of study. The program demonstrates the catalytic connections that can be made and faith formation that can happen through integrating attention to Christian practices in all areas of study.

April 27, 2022
Toronto Designers on Visual Cues to God's Time

First Christian Reformed Church of Toronto, Ontario, planned a worship grant connecting color and the liturgical year. They invited the congregation into the biblical story by collaborating on a permanent artwork. Then the pandemic prevented them from entering the church building. The landscape architect and the architect who led the grant say that this pivot turned out to be a good thing.

April 19, 2022

Vital Worship Grants awarded for 2022 by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship  

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship  announced today that it will fund 25 Vital Worship Grants projects to Worshiping Communities for 2022-2023 as part of its Vital Worship Grants Program.   This group of grants puts us over the 1000 mark for grants awarded through this program. Thanks be to God!

April 14, 2022 | 2 min read
Empowering Children and Youth through Active Involvement 

In this conversation, Priscilla Rodriquez shares with Elizabeth Tamez Mendez about her worshiping community in Chicago which provides accessible leaders with a guiding presence so that early on children are encouraged to be creative and share their gifts as they grow up in the life of faith and the church. 

March 22, 2022 | 51 min video
Intergenerational Relationships in the Worshiping Community

In this conversation, pastor Ahnna Cho Park invites church communities to consider a Biblical concept of honor that embraces the imago Dei, breaks down cultural hierarchies between youth and adults, and welcomes all on a journey of intergenerational friendships and worship practices.

March 2, 2022 | 69 min video