Bible Studies on Worship Available on the Web
Every month a new Bible study on worship written with worship committees in mind will be available at www.calvin.edu/worship. The studies, which provide thoughts and questions aimed to spark study and discussion, will deal with issues and Scripture passages that are relevant to the tasks of worship leaders and planners.
Hymn Search
Throughout 2005, Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, a historic Congregational church located in Brooklyn Heights, New York, will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of The Plymouth Collection, the innovative hymnal published by Henry Ward Beecher in 1855. As part of this celebration a setting for an already chosen text is being sought (February 15, 2005-July 15, 2005). A prize of $600 will be awarded. For more information e-mail hymnal150@ lymouthchurch.org or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to The Plymouth Collection Celebration, Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, 75 Hicks Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Call for New Testament Song Texts
Songwriters are invited to submit new songs based on New Testament texts for consideration in a forthcoming collection to be published by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and Faith Alive Christian Resources. Hymn texts (without music, possibly with tune recommendations) as well as complete songs with music are welcome. The plan is for a collection of worship songs arranged in canonical order, beginning with a composite account of the gospels, including both Scripture paraphrases and texts clearly based on a given text.
Deadline for submissions is June 1, 2005. Please submit three copies of each text to:
New Testament Songbook Submission, c/o Joyce Borger, 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49560. (See also inside back cover.).
CONFERENCES
Lynden, WA, March 4-5
Song Festival and Worship Conference. Emily Brink and Norma de Waal Malefyt (Calvin Institute of Christian Worship), Paul Ryan and Kent Hendricks (Worship Apprentice program, Calvin College), will lead a Friday night song festival followed by a conference on Saturday morning focused on worship leadership using Sing! A New Creation and The Worship Sourcebook (both published by Faith Alive Christian Resources). Contact: Carol DeJong, bugle@thirdcrc.com.
Lansing, MI, March 4-6
Biblical storyteller Dennis Dewey will speak to pastors, worship leaders and planners on how to read Scripture well. Contact Ken Vander Horst at kenvh@arenet.net.
Valparaiso, IN, April 4-5
“Saying and Doing the Gospel Today: Mass, Ministry, Mission.”
Recognizing that the issues of ministry in the church are at a crucial juncture, this Institute will deepen our reflection on the church’s dynamic relationship between worship and ministry. Contact: www.valpo.edu/theology/ils; phone 219-464-5309; e-mail ils@valpo.edu.
Sun Valley, Idaho, June 12-15
The Brehm Center Summit. Who holds center stage? Who is worship for? What difference does worship make? Who is left out? Who is no longer here? Eddie Gibbs, Walt Kallestad, Chuck Fromm, Karen Ward, Caleb Quaye, Bob Henley, Fred Davison, Clay Schmit, and others. Contact: www.brehmcenter.org or Erin Dunkerly, 626-304-3789; brehmcenter@fuller.edu.
Los Angeles, California, June 15-18
Christians in the Visual Arts, 25th anniversary conference. A celebration of the renaissance that has taken place in the past few decades, in which artists of faith have once again come to the fore, and a look at the next generation of Christians in the visual arts with a focus on new media. Contact: www.civa.org; phone 978-867-4124; e-mail office@civa.org.
Presbyterian Association of Musicians:
Montreat, NC, June 19-15,
June 26-July 1
“Handling the Mysteries”
New Wilmington, PA, July 10-15
“God has been this way before”
Albuquerque, NM, July 17-22
“Preaching to the Choir”
Contact for all three conferences: www.pam.pcusa.org; phone 1-888-728-7228, ext. 5288; e-mail pam@ctr.pcusa.org.
Utrecht, The Netherlands, July 7-26
“Reformed Worship Worldwide.” A study of Reformed worship theology and practice worldwide while participating in the quadrennial assembly of the Reformed Ecumenical Council. Contact: www.calvin.edu/worship; e-mail: worship@calvin.edu.
Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, July 22-August 5
“Worship, Church, and Culture in Reformation Europe.” Visits to Lutheran and Reformed churches in the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland will concentrate on worship, art, music, and theology. Other sites include Wartburg Castle, Wittenberg, Dordrecht, and Heidelberg. Leaders are Emily Brink, senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and editor of Reformed Worship, and Frank Roberts, professor emeritus of Reformation history at Calvin College. Contact: Frank Roberts, robefr@calvin.edu.
Grand Rapids, MI, July 25-39
“The Theology of Worship in the Reformed Tradition.” A course on prominent theological writings from the Reformed tradition on the nature and purpose of public worship. An examination of how the enduring themes in the writings of Zwingli, Calvin, Hodge, Nevin, Barth, and von Allmen might be reflected in the practice of public worship in today’s cultural environment. Instructor: John D. Witvliet. Contact: www.calvin.edu/worship; phone 616-526-6088; e-mail worship@calvin.edu.