1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
This seminar explored the wonderful truth that when we gather, our living Lord is present and active in our midst?empowering, perfecting and leading our worship. Behind all true worship, regardless of its form or style, is the present mediating ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"When I grow up I want to be a shepherd." I imagine that is what my grandfather said when he was a young boy growing up near Blanco Canyon in New Mexico.
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.
Many churches need to use the Scriptures more in their worship. This seminar explored why and how the Bible should inform, infuse, and enrich our worship planning and leading. It also looked at practical ways to bring the Word in all its richness into our worship services.
To help form a biblical worldview, we saturated our congregation with a rhythm of scripture memorization that has become a key component of spiritual formation. This workshop showed how this practice has transformed us and our worship.
The book of Jonah is replete with themes near to the heart of Christian life, worship, and witness.
The Psalms have been a great source of inspiration for generations of Christians but children seldom get the chance to interact with more than a handful of Psalms in a meaningful way. This workshop will explore how we can help children do this and why it matters.
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."
Singing Scripture songs and hymns sinks the words of the Bible into your heart, mind, and muscle memory. A feature story on the hymnal, Singing the New Testament.
Touching the Altar, edited by Carol M. Bechtel, shows how the often-neglected Old Testament is essential to understand the purpose of worship, giving practical ideas any church can apply. A feature story on using Old Testament values in worship.
Middle East scholar Kenneth Bailey's books, lectures, and more invite Christians to strip away cultural mythologies and worship the real Jesus of the Middle East. A feature story exploring the life of Jesus through his own Middle-Eastern culture.
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."
