Pastoral and Worship Excellence: Becoming more like Christ
A feature story exploring Pastoral and Worship excellence. David J. Wood and Paul Ryan offer a biblical framework for cultivating congregational conversations about pastoral excellence and standards for worship excellence.
Kaleidoscope: Shifting Perspectives of Faith Formation, Young People, and Intergenerational Worship
This session explored how our understanding of young people and faith formation ought to enhance appreciation for worship that is intergenerational. Drawing on current resources, ideas for promoting change and exchanging ideas will outline a strategy for promoting intergenerational worship.
Mentoring Musicians and Worship Artists
How can we change our leadership paradigm from directing people to helping them grow?
Too Deep for Words? Preaching in the Language of the Spirit
This session explored the possibility of discerning the presence of the Holy Spirit in preaching and then discussed some manifestations of the Spirit in sermons, particularly focusing on the expressions of lament and celebration.
Symposium 2009 - Leadership from Inside Out
In this session, RCA general secretary Wes Granberg-Michaelson explored congregational leadership that is built on and extends from the inner spiritual lives of leaders, and explored how this relates to the dynamics of organizational change. The presentation drew from his book Leadership from Inside Out.
Symposium 2009 - Jesus: Our Worship Leader
This seminar explored the wonderful truth that when we gather, our living Lord is present and active in our midst?empowering, perfecting and leading our worship. Behind all true worship, regardless of its form or style, is the present mediating ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Symposium 2009 - Standards for Excellence in Worship
Worship planners and leaders often speak of excellence in worship. What are these standards and who determines them?
Good Preaching Takes Good Elders
When preachers and churches talk about improving the quality of preaching, many approaches are considered, but one is frequently missing: the participation of elders. This workshop explores both the why and how questions of involving elders in supporting and encouraging preachers in their congregations.
When God Speaks Through You
Based on his book, When God Speaks Through You, Craig Satterlee explored how "holy and active listening"—listening for God's voice speaking in and through the faith community can occur when church members talk to one another and to their pastors about preaching—and especially the faith convictions they bring to the sermon, which influence both the preaching and what is heard.
Preaching to Expose the Principalities and Powers
Church leaders and other saints in our congregations frequently find themselves struggling with money, technology, politics, the institutional church, etc. - what the Bible calls "principalities and powers."
Making Sense Out of Reading Theology
This article encourages methodical and reflective methods of reading theological texts in order to receive greater enrichment and nourishment from them.
Introduction to The Catechetical Lectures of Cyril of Jerusalem
Can a theologian be a good pastor or evangelist? Can an effective, church-growing evangelist be theological? Can a caring pastor preach doctrine in a relevant way? Is it possible for one person to be a dynamic evangelist, pastor, and theologian all at once? Looking at Cyril, the fourth century bishop of Jerusalem, is helpful.