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
Psalms allow us to express a whole range of emotions in powerful ways and at the same time, they tell us a lot about God. This workshop will examine how worship song writers can learn from the psalms as they work on their own craft.
If your church is larger than 150 people, statistics say that you have members who fall on the Autism Spectrum, including Asperger Syndrome.
As churches work toward full, conscious and active participation in liturgy, some are noticing patterns of worship attendance. They're reaching out to those absent from Sunday morning worship. A feature story focused on Sunday worship attendance.
Even if you agree that churches should reach out to armed forces members and their families, you might think your church isn't up to the job. But don't discount what your congregation can do in military ministry.
How can churches follow the Prince of Peace and yet minister to warriors? Military chaplains and veterans say that this dilemma keeps many congregations from including war concerns in worship or ministering to soldiers and families. A feature story exploring how churches can become veteran-friendly.
Lament is an essential ingredient of honest faith, but what does biblical lament look or sound like in real congregations? A feature story exploring how Christians can bring their pain to God in worship.
In this email interview from spring 2008, van Setten tells how the music of lament has helped heal European Christians ashamed of how they’ve treated Jews and helped Jews feel God’s presence. He explains how combining lament and praise can enrich evangelical worship.
Though you might associate "heal" with "cure," healing in worship is broader. Whether through prayer, hospitality, communion, or laying on hands, it helps people become more whole.
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.
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.
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.
"Where is God when it hurts?" "Why me, Lord?" For worship leaders, the time to prepare yourself and those who you love for times of disaster is before the disaster strikes. We will examine the impact disasters can have on people's lives and the spiritual preparation necessary to help you plan worship in ways that help you and your congregations face disasters in your own lives and the lives of those whom you love.
