Sarah Travis on Worship, Playfulness, and Trauma
While completing a grant on playfulness in worship, Sarah Travis began to see connections between play and trauma. Worshiping God through embodied, imaginative, and story-based practices helps people and congregations stuck in trauma begin to move toward healing and new life.
April 23, 2025
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8 min read
Robby Kiley on Creating Inclusive Community and Welcome
In this episode, Robby Kiley of Saint Pius X Parish in Granger, Indiana, shares how a grant project focused on welcome at the Mass for people across the spectrum of abilities extended beyond worship into a wider embrace of people in community and participation.
December 13, 2024
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20 min listen
Katie Callaway on Wonder, Curiosity, and Imagination in Worship
In this episode, Katie Callaway of Christian Temple Christian Church, in Catonsville, Maryland, shares how her congregation explored and deepened their understanding of worship by experimenting with godly play.
December 13, 2024
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21 min listen
“The Immigrant Church Project:” A Refuge of Hope and Worship in Los Angeles
The demographic reality of California—especially Los Angeles, where most Spanish-speaking churches receive many immigrants—inspired Pastor Francisco Zamora of Modus Church and his leaders, Eunice Soriano and Barnett Quiñones, to launch the "Immigrant Church Project.”
December 12, 2024
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5 min read
Nathan Longfield on Embodiment, Creativity and Trauma-informed Worship
In this episode, Nathan Longfield, pastor of Emmaus Church, a newer worshiping community, talks about their year-long project that explored embodiment and trauma-informed practices to more deeply engage in worship as a congregation and community.
December 10, 2024
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20 min listen
Sun Valley City Church Explores the Various Dimensions of Worship
Sun Valley City Church in California recently delved into the topic of worship from a systematic, spiritual, and mental point of departure as part of a project titled “A Ministerial Guide for Churches and Pastors.” In addition to worship, topics such as preaching and leadership were also touched upon through a series of conferences. These lessons were initially created for the benefit of the congregation but were shared also with pastors and leaders from other churches.
October 17, 2024
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5 min read
Enrichment Through Inclusive Creativity
“Bilingual Resources for Bilingual People” is an ambitious and collaborative project that sought to identify, engage, and challenge poets, songwriters, and emerging prophets. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, participants were called to contribute to the enrichment of worship services at La Fuente Ministries (Pasadena, CA).
September 25, 2024
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5 min read
Rosemary Apol-Hoezee on Dementia and Worship
Chaplains have been using the Evening Star worship manual in memory care facilities for almost twenty years. The second edition incorporates new research on dementia to create a worship model that is even better at engaging people who live with dementia.
April 29, 2024
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6 min read
Reynolds Chapman: Local History Matters to God
You might not think often about the land your church sits on or the community beyond your church property. But finding ways to learn local history and include it in worship may help church members become more faithful disciples, more meaningfully draw near to God, and reach people who are disconnected from the church.
January 23, 2024
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7 min read
Inclusive Worship, Reconciliation, and Public Witness: A Teacher-Scholar Panel Discussion
Teacher-scholars who received grants through the Vital Worship Grants Program share learning from their scholarly research and grant projects. John Witvliet, moderator.
May 25, 2022
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1 min video
Teacher-Scholar Panel: Theological and Historical Reflection on Worship
Maria Cornou, moderator.
May 25, 2022
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1 min video
Emerging Research on Worship Practices Affecting Human Flourishing
A panel of teacher-scholars with research projects focused on worship practices that affect human flourishing share the fruits of their research, with a special focus on the implications of their research for worshiping communities.
July 20, 2021
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73 min video
