1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
This session considered a church building as being part of, and contributing to, the neighborhood that surrounds it. We explored how a building connects to a neighborhood in terms of scale and style, helping to shape the public realm, and how threshold points operate between the church and the public.
This session took the Psalms as a case study for considering what it means for the preacher, first, and then the congregation, to be astonished by the biblical text. How might this ancient poetry be surprising, and therefore revelatory, to those who hear it in our contemporary contexts? What sort of preparation is necessary for the preacher who wishes to engage the Psalms as poetry?
The physical locations and buildings that we use for worshiping the Triune God are influenced by the theological beliefs and choices of those who have gone before us.
While preaching is a craft and a skill to be carefully honed and developed, it is also a form of caring. Historically the preacher was called a "shepherd of souls," but cultural shifts have moved us away from this concept. This sectional examines the two-way street that exists in the integration of preaching and pastoral care. Good preaching provides pastoral care. Yet, at the same time good preaching is formed by pastoral care. Both sides of this balance will be examined.
The 21st century is characterized by people moving and mixing all over the world, trying to fit into new communities that are varied and diverse. That reality is pushing the church to be multiethnic like the church of the 1st century. We'll explore how to plan worship that is inclusive, allowing everyone to feel welcome by including musical gifts from their culture and worship "back home" in their new church home.
The relationship between churches and the news media is too often one of mutual indifference or mistrust. This session explores practical ways of connecting with local reporters and maintaining healthy and beneficial relationships with the media.
All congregations experience crises, transitions, and conflicts. Worship will be affected by these difficult times, and can be the place where healing begins and continues.
How do we find God outside of the sanctuary?
Justice is an indispensable requirement for Christian worship.
What should preachers keep in mind in composing sermons? This session will hold up the rubrics "Biblical, Authentic, Contextual, and Life-Changing" as goals for preachers and as helpful categories for congregations to use in discussing sermons.
What is the homiletical counterpart to the "Emergent" church movement/conversation? In an increasingly postmodern world, how does the church speak a Word from God? The panel explored some of the current experiments in postmodern proclamation as the church makes its way to finding a culturally authentic "NuHomiletic."
The church is engaging in ministry to prisoners as never before. It has become evident that prison ministry is having a profound impact upon the life of the church and that the principles of Restorative Justice are not only for offenders and victims, but for anyone to live all of life as worship.
