1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
When a congregation and its leaders are considering the observance of the Christian Year, there is another question that immediately presents itself.
How do you get started if your congregation and your staff knows little about the Christian Year? Some of you are undoubtedly in congregations that are quite familiar with it. But many others are not and don’t know quite where to begin.
Obviously, this work of getting started on the Christian Year in your worship life is not going to be something you will tackle by yourself as a worship leader. You’ll need others to join you in learning and studying, in teaching and introducing, and in evaluating the progress your congregation makes.
We discover easily that visual communication is often most effective. So if we are going to teach the Christian Year to our congregation, some diagram or picture of the Christian Year is needed, or at least some helpful metaphor that will portray it’s dynamic.
In November 2014 Calvin College senior Chantelle Yazzie traveled to Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation, Carlton, MN, to participate in the third annual “Would Jesus Eat Frybread?” conference.
One way to keep sermons fresh is to ditch the deductive form, in which preachers begin with their main point and then work to prove it.
You probably gather for worship with both lifelong worshipers and those new to the Bible. Jerry Sittser mines the history of Christian spirituality for nuggets that give life to all levels of worshipers.
From his native Guatemala, Pastor Jorge Fuentes came and established himself in the United States. For 18 years, he has been the pastor at the Church of Christ Elim Central in Los Angeles, a numerous and prosperous congregation in Southern California.
En nombre de todo el personal del Instituto, quiero extenderles una cordial invitación a participar en nuestro próximo Simposio de Adoración.
Someone on social media recently sent out a photo of two young boys lost in worship. This photo reminded me of John Calvin’s famous words, “My heart I offer to you Lord, promptly and sincerely.”
Visual artists can help us start talking about major life issues that we don’t often acknowledge in worship.
Jesus calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. What does that mean for conversations about injustices, including racism, both in the U.S. and around the world. Steve Prince creates visual art that can help us start talking.
