1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
21st-century worship planners are faced with unique exciting challenges as the church answers the Spirit's call to be a place where all nations and cultures are invited to join in praise.
This workshop will explore the implications for liturgy and preaching which arrive from recognizing afresh 1-- the reality of Christ's priesthood and 2-- that we are, in George Herbert's phrase, "Secretaries of thy praise."
Although sermon preparation involves lots of steps-everything from selecting a text to embodying the sermon on Sunday-the search for meaningful illustrative material during the week is often the most frustrating.
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.
From the age of the Apostles, to the Early Church Fathers, to the Middle Ages, to the present, we are invited to join that great cloud of witnesses who have worshiped God around the clock from hour to hour, from one time-zone to the next, in ceaseless prayer and praise. This session explored how to incorporate the rhythm of what some call 'The Liturgy of the Hours' into busy contemporary life.
This service was designed to be a full service of Word and sacrament. It was also designed to allow worshipers to share in the intimacy Jesus experienced with his disciples through foot washing and during the meal in the hours prior to his arrest and crucifixion.
A Collection of ideas of how to include lament in your worship.
Thomas Long makes a case for classic Christian funeral traditions. Howard Vanderwell and Leonard VanderZee offer pastoral considerations for planning funerals and memorial services. A feature story exploring the planning for Christian Funerals and Memorial Services.
A service of Thanksgiving.
One option for incorporating visual arts in a Thanksgiving service.
Here are two church worship drama models based on Bible texts. Part of a feature story exploring dramas based on the Old Testament and lectionary texts.
In contrast to Jeff Barker, who often presents Old Testament passages as brief plays or mimes in place of or during the sermon text, John Steven Paul writes liturgical plays long enough to replace the sermon.
