Photographs in RW 68
In the interest of justice (!), we need to give credit where due: we regret that in our theme issue on Worship and Justice (RW 68), we omitted credits for two photographers. Nancy Olthuis (nancy.olthuis@kingsu.ca), Graphic Design Services Officer at The King’s University College, took the photos on the cover and on pages 2-3. Stephan Babuljak took the photos on pages 26-27; for more information about him and his work, check the photo gallery on the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship website: www.calvin.edu/worship.
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Awards Fifty-four Worship Renewal Grants
This year the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW) awarded 54 worship renewal grants from 313 applicants; more than $700,000 was granted to a very wide range of worthy projects. The grants awarded represent 19 denominations, 24 states, and 2 provinces. The names and brief descriptions of each of the projects are listed on the CICW website: www.calvin.edu/worship.
In addition to the 54 grants, CICW granted 14 awards that center on college campus worship formation, 12 conference collaborations, and some projects that might result in publications.
The quality and number of proposals has continued to grow in the four-year history of the grant program. The introduction of a development event for project directors at the beginning of their project has been particularly helpful. “We continue to be grateful for the ways the grant program encourages deeper reflection on the meaning of worship and then nurtures worship practices that have an impact on the worship life of congregations,” said Rev. Cindy Holtrop, director of the Worship Renewal Grants Program.
Applications for 2004 proposals are due February 1, 2004. RW encourages all subscribers to prayerfully consider this wonderful opportunity made possible through the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship with funding provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Complete information about the grant program will be updated on the website this fall.
The Church Together: Exploring Intergenerational Worship
COLAM 2004 in Colorado
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and a local planning committee in Colorado are excited about plans for COLAM 2004. In addition to the major winter symposium held annually on Calvin’s campus (see ad inside front cover), CICW sponsors COLAM, a summer worship conference held every two or three years in different locations. This coming year we’re delighted to make this a family conference.
The theme will be exploring intergenerational worship, the kind of worship in which old and young are welcome, and each age group is called to serve and to receive, to listen and be listened to. Plan to make this a family worship retreat as part of your summer vacation in the Colorado Rockies.
COLAM will begin Wednesday afternoon, July 7, 2004, and end at noon on Saturday, July 10. Our host church is Bethany Lutheran Church, Englewood, Colorado (Denver area), a wonderful facility. For the latest information, check the Calvin Institute website: calvin.edu/worship.
When Is It Time to Plan Another Denominational Hymnal?
At the February 2003 meeting of CRC Publications’ Board, the staff of Faith Alive Resources was mandated to begin a study to determine if, when, and how work should begin on another edition of the Psalter Hymnal, the hymnal and worship book of the Christian Reformed Church. The current edition (1987) is sixteen years old; the average shelf life of a hymnal is about twenty-five years, and it takes several years to prepare another edition. The study will go to the February 2004 meeting of the board.
Those interested in learning how churches go about preparing new worship materials for the church might be interested in exploring the very thorough process currently underway in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). A separate website (www.renewingworship.org) provides details about nine publications planned as part of their study; five are already in print. Results of this thorough study will help to shape worship for the next generation of worshipers in the ELCA.
2003-2004 Conferences
Choristers Guild Directors’ Enrichment Conferences
Tacoma, WA, September 12-13; Timonium, MA, September 26-27; Naperville, IL, October 10-11
Each site will feature excellent local children’s choirs and sessions led by Madeline Bridges, professor of music education at Belmont University in Nashville and codirector of the Nashville Children’s Choir Program. Contact: www.choristersguild.org; e-mail: choristers@choristersguild.org; phone: 972-271-1521.
Fort Worth, TX, September 15-18
A major Global Consultation on Music and Missions, at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS), to explore how God is drawing the nations to himself through music and related arts, with many international guests. Contact: www.swbts.edu/gcomm.
Lake Junaluska, NC, October 26-29
The Academy of Global Song, sharing the gifts of creation and culture with special emphasis on the music of Latin America and the Caribbean, sponsored by the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Faculty include George Mulrain from Jamaica, Pablo Sosa from Argentina, and several others. Contact: Glendora Dazle, 212-870-3914; gdazle@gbgm-umc.org.
Grand Rapids, MI, October 30-November 1
“Christianity, Cultures, & Worship Worldwide.” A conference with internationally recognized historians, anthropologists, missiologists, liturgists, and scholars of worship, sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and the Seminars in Christian Scholarship Program. For details: www.calvin.edu/worship. Contact: seminars@calvin.edu.
Langley, BC, November 8
“A Day of Encouragement: Exploring Authentic Worship” including several speakers from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW) and Calvin Theological Seminary. Contact: www.calvin.edu/worship; phone 616-526-6088.
Grand Rapids, MI, January 29-31
The Calvin Symposium on Worship and the Arts. Go to the website early to register online. The later date next year will allow for expanded numbers and session offerings, but remember that last year registrations were closed several weeks before the conference. See the inside front cover of this issue for details.
Englewood, CO, July 7-10, 2004
COLAM 2004, a family worship conference with a focus on intergenerational worship, sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship; for details: www.calvin.edu/worship.