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
Have you thought about what you are going to say to your congregation the day after? The Sunday after?
Nepali Reformed Churches pastor Arbin Pokharel often describes worship as helping worshipers reenact their identity as God’s people. Doing so honestly means including hospitality, healing, prayer, celebration, and lament.
Higher Ground Nepal is a social enterprise that includes people from all walks of life in Nepal. Proselytizing is not allowed in Nepal, but when people see others living as the genuine presence of Christ in people’s situations, it makes a difference.
Congregations, pastors, and parents/caregivers have many opportunities to join together in worship and prayer practices that more intentionally engage children and help them come to know and love God and grow in faith together. Panelists will discuss ways to intentionally create intergenerational community in which people of all ages, including children, are welcomed as full participants whose participation enriches the community and gives praise to God.
Music and prayer are prominent elements in worship liturgy. How does the culture of the worship community influence these worship practices? How should we engage culture and yet be countercultural in our practice of music and prayer? Engage with this panel from four continents as we explore how cultural values form and inform worship practices.
As we seek a world of love and mercy, justice and peace, it's essential that we find resources of resilience to help us through the challenges we face. The psalms offer a timeless source of healing and hope. They remind us that God listens to our honest prayers, and they reconnect us with what brings us delight, solace, and joy. In this service of psalms set to soulful Celtic melodies, we will allow a healing space for expressing difficult emotions while also tapping into the hopeful future God envisions for all people. This service will be led by Kiran Young Wimberly, The McGraths, Mary Beth Mardis-LeCroy, and Brian Hehn.
Learning from prayer practices of the Reformation era can help congregations and families today deepen their faith, piety, and responses to current events.
When a congregation in Long Beach, California, designed a psalms retreat as part of a worship renewal grant, they had no idea how it would grow and blossom. Engaging with psalms of confession, praise and thanksgiving, lament, and hope and trust has helped hundreds of Christians develop a new language of prayer.
Church retreats, church governance meetings, and church small groups require honesty, vulnerability, and transparency to collectively draw closer to God. Psychologist Keith M. Douds explains how and when to step in with grace and preserve safety so that everyone has a chance to share and be listened to.
A conversation with Mark Charles and John D. Witvliet on the phrase "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread" from the Lord's Prayer, as part of the series "Growing into the Prayer Jesus Taught Us."
A conversation with Mark Charles and John D. Witvliet on the phrase "Lead Us Not Into Temptation" from the Lord's Prayer, as part of the series "Growing into the Prayer Jesus Taught Us."
A conversation with Mark Charles and John D. Witvliet on the phrase "Forgive Us Our Sins" from the Lord's Prayer, as part of the series "Growing into the Prayer Jesus Taught Us."
