1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 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.
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."
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.
The best argument for blended worship is that the body of Christ by definition is itself blended - therefore our services should reflect that reality.
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.
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.
Paul said that all Scripture is God-breathed. Still, when did you last hear a sermon on the Old Testament? A feature story exploring the case for preaching the Old Testament.
Churches that want to use more psalms in worship will find a wealth of resources related to prayer, music, and readings.
Biblical storytelling reconnects worshipers with the communal experience of hearing God together. A feature story exploring biblical story telling and learning the scriptures by heart.
