By: Jorge Sayago-Gonzalez Enjoy this article about music from our archives, first posted in our print format. With diversity growing at rapid rates, churches are now facing new challenges of engaging the ever-changing needs of their surrounding communities. Church...
By: Worship experiences during the 2018 Annual Event promise to be boundless and rich. Renowned for crafting multi-cultural worship that moves beyond singing hymns or offering prayers in different languages, Sandra Van Opstal (CRC) brings her creative and innovative...
By: Pressley Cox Growing up, I had never heard of a “Hanging of the Greens” service. Preparing the sanctuary for Christmas was done by a group of women one Saturday morning. The bulletin announcement the next day would be a thank you to those who “decorated” the...
By: Carol Wehrheim “I was driving on a very, very, snowy, icy, visibility-zero highway.” With these words, the congregation quieted waited for the next line. A congregational member was telling the story, the testimony, of another member, anonymous to the teller and...
By: Adam Walker Cleaveland I have a confession to make. I never really liked children’s ministry. And I hated children’s sermons. Now, as the founder of Illustrated Children’s Ministry, that sounds a little odd. But let me explain. First of all, when I say I...
By: Carmel Tinnes Designing education or worship is an opportunity to bring together many elements and create a gestalt where each included element adds a layer of meaning and builds something not otherwise included, making the result greater than the sum of its...
By: Theresa Cho For many of us, considering the use of art in worship and in ministry can illicit two emotions. We may feel inadequate or incompetent to produce good art. We may also imagine art in worship and in ministry to be like a craft store blowing up in our...
By: Carol Wehrheim The Kim family arrived in the sanctuary just as the Call to Worship began. The girls in first and fourth grades sat with their parents until the storyteller called children forward for the Bible story that would be the focus of their Sunday school...
By: Craig Foster “Now that we have a camera in the sanctuary, what’s the cheapest and easiest way we can get our services online?” That simple question from our pastor started our venture into livestreaming our worship services over seven years ago. We had just...
By: Sandy Safford Planning for a group worship time this summer? Try one of these practices, from Sandy Safford. Washed Clean This activity focuses on the practice of forgiveness–on receiving a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning through the grace of...
