1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
When preachers and churches talk about improving the quality of preaching, many approaches are considered, but one is frequently missing: the participation of elders. This workshop explores both the why and how questions of involving elders in supporting and encouraging preachers in their congregations.
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.
Church leaders and other saints in our congregations frequently find themselves struggling with money, technology, politics, the institutional church, etc. - what the Bible calls "principalities and powers."
This article encourages methodical and reflective methods of reading theological texts in order to receive greater enrichment and nourishment from them.
Can a theologian be a good pastor or evangelist? Can an effective, church-growing evangelist be theological? Can a caring pastor preach doctrine in a relevant way? Is it possible for one person to be a dynamic evangelist, pastor, and theologian all at once? Looking at Cyril, the fourth century bishop of Jerusalem, is helpful.
By looking at successfully diverse churches across the nation, this session revealed critical attitudes for cultivating a hospitable church, perspectives on recent immigration and the neighborhood church, and experiments on musical variety and global awareness.
Differing circumstances call forth different liturgical, theological and formational questions and inspire different congregational conversations about what we do in worship and why we do it. The workshop began with a PowerPoint presentation on the history of Christian worship and its relationship to spiritual formation in congregational life, concluding with 'where we are now.' Practices for spiritual formation were described in relation to the congregation's worship life.
This workshop audio will help participants begin to explore the possibilities and homiletical impact of engaging in an ongoing, vigorous program of reading for preaching.
Today's worship coordinators do far more than sing into a microphone. They lead congregations to broader, deeper worship. A feature story exploring how today's worship leaders can lead, learn and let go.
While preaching is a craft and a skill to be carefully honed and developed, it is also a form of caring. Historically the preacher was called a "shepherd of souls," but cultural shifts have moved us away from this concept. This sectional examines the two-way street that exists in the integration of preaching and pastoral care. Good preaching provides pastoral care. Yet, at the same time good preaching is formed by pastoral care. Both sides of this balance will be examined.
All congregations experience crises, transitions, and conflicts. Worship will be affected by these difficult times, and can be the place where healing begins and continues.
Though no one wants a worship war, discussions about worship change are often more divisive than divine. Howard Vanderwell explains how to ask questions that focus on worship principles, rather than on passions and preferences. A feature story exploring ways to lead worship change, rather than worship wars.
