Hospitality as Paying Attention
Randy Smit sees all of life as a gift and the Lord’s Table as the “quintessential place for experiencing the hospitality of Christ. And so who’s at the table becomes pretty significant.” He suggests focusing less on “fencing the table,” more on opening it to children or others who may be left out.
Coop's Column - So Marred, So Beautiful
Their suffering Savior’s immense love for them, far beyond their mind’s feeble ability to grasp or comprehend, now prompts Christians to worship him
Worship in Terrible Times
This article tells how Blacksburg churches, who had been working together to make ecumenical connections with the help of a Worship Renewal Grant, were able to respond to tragedy as a community.
Dealing with Fear in Church Life
How can we worship so that God’s perfect love overcomes all we’re afraid of?
Greg Scheer on Working with Worship Committees
"People fear the unknown above all. You lie awake worrying about what might happen," says Greg Scheer, minister of worship at Church of the Servant in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Worship changes often make people fear they'll lose power, feel discomfort, or watch meaningful traditions erode.
Worship Leading as a Ministry of Reconciliation
When Isaac Wardell interviewed for the job of director of worship arts at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, he learned how often worship changes hurt, confuse, or offend people.
Let Them Hear: Why Not Get Your Church Looped?
Most parishioners with hearing loss choose not to suffer the hassle and embarrassment of special receivers and headsets. Happily, there’s a better alternative—the broadcast of personalized sound directly through hearing aids.
How to Develop a Requiem Choir: A Congregational Ministry for Funerals
In the midst of life, we are in death.” But fewer and fewer of us share in the sad, sometimes openly commercial rituals that surround our final passage in this culture—more and more grieving family and close friends mourn by themselves.
Pastoral Undertaking: A Case for Prearranging Funerals
At one of our church member's funeral, we gathered in Christ’s name to proclaim his resurrection as well as hers. Yet something seemed to be missing from this service of worship. This woman had dialogued at length with her own death, and we had heard only part of the conversation.
The Gracious Gift of Hospitality in Worship - Cindy Holtrop
What does the ministry of hospitality look like in our congregations and in our worship services? This article dives into the correlation between worship and hospitality.
Prayer for the Darfuri
Loving God, we cry out to you on behalf of the people of the Darfur region.
Coop's Column - Belonging
Lonesomeness, that bleak and desperate feeling of abandonment and forsakenness, is the worst—the absolute worst—that can overtake any human being.