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On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
View this conversation with pastoral musician David Crowder and Noel Snyder, program manager at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.
Because human beings are embodied creatures, the shape of the material world—in particular, the shape of the built environment—will affect their spiritual lives, both in relation to God and to each other.
Introducing the worship song “Come, Holy Ghost / Be Not Afraid” by Bruce Benedict and Ray Mills.
Introducing the worship song “Come, Holy Ghost / Be Not Afraid” by Bruce Benedict and Ray Mills.
Worshiping outdoors and bringing nature into worship helped one church experience more connections between God’s creation, worship, and neighbors.
Jesus’s example of laying down his life for others inspired Martin Luther King Jr. and the U.S. civil rights movement. This theology of how to engage undeserved suffering can help congregations deal with pain.
TOGETHER is a new Bible study curriculum designed to include, appeal to, and challenge adults of varying abilities. It aims to build community in ways that may enrich congregational worship.
What churches profess and what they do sometimes clash. Sharing stories, sitting with those who suffer, praying, and listening in silence for God can help churches harmonize theology and sociology.
Isaac Wardell, Director of Worship Arts at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, shares reflections from his experience shepherding their Charlottesville congregation in Sunday worship through the trauma of hatred, bigotry, and violence that took place in their small town less than one day before they gathered for worship.
Providing charitable support and development assistance to people in need can and does work, but, like any important activity, we must learn how to do it well.
This once-aging, now-thriving Lutheran congregation became more comfortable with worship changes by using visuals and stories, reading books together, and sharing over meals.
On Wednesday, August 9, 2017, before the violent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, someone broke into a church near Waco, Texas, a historically African American congregation, and vandalized the property with hateful graffiti. The pastor of the church is a student at Baylor’s Truett Seminary. At the request of Baylor President Dr. Linda Livingstone, the Office of Spiritual Life at Baylor developed this prayer guide which will be used at community-wide gatherings on Friday, August 18.
