A Prayer of Lament
This prayer of lament was prayed at Calvin Theological Seminary on May 1, 2015 in response to the earthquake in Nepal and the unrest in Baltimore.
Getting Started with the Christian Year
Any church leadership team that hopes to increase the observance of the Christian year in their congregation will first need to identify how much shaping influence this practice has at present.
The Christian Year: Helpful Resources
Undoubtedly, as you work with the concept the Christian Year, you will encounter questions and will desire more information. Here are suggestions that offer some help.
The Christian Year: Six Steps for Getting Started
So now, here is your dilemma – you are leading a congregation that worships pretty well, but they don’t know much about the Christian Year. Outside of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Good Friday, and Easter, there’s isn’t much else about it. And what’s more, they don’t seem to miss it, or feel they ought to change things. And some of them are a bit suspicious of the whole idea. And besides, you don’t trust your knowledge about it all either, and you have no idea where to begin.
The Christian Year: Three Guiding Patterns
Worshiping according to the Christian Year is not merely another fad to follow, or some ancient practice to match. It’s a pattern of worship which at its heart has three major themes that will greatly enhance the life of any congregation.
The Christian Year: Colors
Wise worship planners and leaders will draw on the power of visuals also.
The Christian Year: Use of the Revised Common Lectionary
When a congregation and its leaders are considering the observance of the Christian Year, there is another question that immediately presents itself.
The Christian Year: One Person’s Journey
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.
The Christian Year: Six Benefits
How rich is the congregation who observes the Christian Year carefully!
The Christian Year: Some Key Questions
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.
The Christian Year: Two Vivid Pictures
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.
Bible Study on Worship: Themes to explore
This Bible study with 12 lessons focuses on key themes in understanding Christian worship and is designed for use by a worship planning team/committee.