When I Grow Up I Want to Be A Shepherd
"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.
What the Psalms Have to Teach Us about Song Writing
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.
Symposium 2009 - Worship and the Word
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.
Getting Past the Fish: The Book of Jonah for Christian Worship
The book of Jonah is replete with themes near to the heart of Christian life, worship, and witness.
Helping Children Understand the Psalms
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.
Preaching to Expose the Principalities and Powers
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 the New Testament: No greater text than scripture for worship songs
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.
Old Testament Resources for Christian Worship: Surprising insight
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.
Kenneth E. Bailey on Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes
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.
Christ's Priesthood and Our Praises
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."
Preaching Christ from the Gospels
There are unique and wonderful challenges in following the apostle Paul's example of preaching Christ and Him crucified from the gospels. How do we faithfully communicate the message of Christ from the very words and life of Christ himself? It may seem obvious, but too often men and women are getting it wrong.
Symposium 2008 - Blended Worship: Good for the Body
The best argument for blended worship is that the body of Christ by definition is itself blended - therefore our services should reflect that reality.