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Palm Sunday: Another Advent

Noticing and celebrating Palm Sunday’s allusions to Advent can enrich your congregation’s understanding of Holy Week and how Palm Sunday reflects both Christ’s humble first coming and his glorious return.

April 1, 2020 | 7 min read
Church Polity and Online Sacraments in the Christian Reformed Church

Kathy Smith, Adjunct Professor of Church Polity at Calvin Theological Seminary, reflects on the administration of sacraments in the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. She advises Christian Reformed churches to practice pastoral flexibility while still abiding by church polity, and provides a historical example from World War II, related by her predecessor Henry De Moor.

March 27, 2020 | 4 min read
Streaming Worship Services and Copyrights in a Time of Social Distancing

In an age of social distancing and remote, online worship due to COVID-19, churches are figuring out how to honor copyrights in entirely new ways, and companies are giving special allowances during this time.

March 25, 2020 | 2 min read

Mark L. MacDonald on Gospel-Based Discipleship and Indigenous Christians

Archbishop Mark L. MacDonald speaks and writes about gospel inculturation in Indigenous ministries, especially among First Nations Anglicans in Canada. Churches everywhere can learn from the Indigenous Gospel-Based Discipleship model for worship, governance, and community life.

March 24, 2020 | 4 min read
Trauma-Informed Care in Church Worship and Life

This topic showcase highlights resources to help churches use trauma-informed practices in church worship and congregational life. Faith communities are more effective when they become more aware of adverse childhood experiences, collective trauma, and other tragedy.

March 24, 2020 | 10 min read
Pandemics and Public Worship Throughout History

As the pandemic COVID-19 brings isolation and unprecedented challenges to congregations around the world, it can be of great comfort to reflect and learn about how Christian churches have responded to epidemics and pandemics throughout history.

March 23, 2020 | 9 min read

Holy Week in Uncertain Times

The pandemic of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, has thrown Lent and Holy Week plans into turmoil. But the remembrances and celebrations of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday present opportunities for both innovation and stability amid uncertainty.

March 22, 2020 | 2 min read
Loving Your Neighbor In and Through Worship Practices

2020 Calvin Symposium on Worship | Plenary

March 20, 2020 | 60 min video
From Longing to Belonging: Connecting through the Language of Worship with Persons Experiencing Dementia

2020 Calvin Symposium on Worship | Workshop

March 19, 2020 | 61 min listen

Funeral Practices during COVID-19: Praying for Wisdom in Pastoral and Liturgical Adaptations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, pastors and churches preparing to conduct funerals face unique challenges, particularly restrictions on public gatherings even for those who grieve.

March 19, 2020 | 1 min read
Indigenous Christian Worship Resources: Where to Start

Many congregations are beginning to realize that they live, work, and worship on land taken from Indigenous people. Learning about First Nations and Native American Christians can help worshipers from other cultures see the gospel with new eyes.

March 19, 2020 | 11 min read