1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA

On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 91ÁÔÆæ
Vital 91ÁÔÆæ, Vital Preaching grants support innovative projects for worshiping communities and teacher-scholars in the United States and Canada.
This is a guide to Advent and Christmas worship planning resources from our website and our ministry partners' websites.
In Luke’s gospel we find several of Jesus’ best-known parables—stories that despite their renown are found nowhere else in scripture.
Vital 91ÁÔÆæ, Vital Preaching grants fund diverse projects for worshiping communities and teacher-scholars.
You are probably used to artificial intelligence (AI) suggesting ways to complete sentences in your emails and texts. Now that AI has the capacity to write sermons and mimic emotional care, how should AI be used in churches?
Vital 91ÁÔÆæ, Vital Preaching grants fund new projects for worshiping communities and teacher-scholars.
Although Ezekiel’s strange visions and often shocking images perplex readers, Old Testament scholar Daniel I. Block explains why the book of Ezekiel is worth reading. The judgment, grace, and love God spoke through Ezekiel to Israel also apply to the church today.
Bookended by powerful prayers of confession and lament and drawing some 800 participants from around the world, the 2024 Symposium on 91ÁÔÆæ took place Feb. 7-9 on the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary.
Have you ever gone home from worship disappointed that the preacher or Sunday homily didn’t seem very effective? Recent research reveals that listeners can help preachers help their peers grow closer to God.
Whether churches call it a message, teaching, homily, or sermon, there’s often a big gap between what preachers think they are saying and what listeners hear. Preaching can become more effective when ministers, priests, deacons, and laypeople learn how to talk together. This two-way preaching conversation requires a cultural shift.
In the 2023 91ÁÔÆæ Symposium’s five main worship services we are looking at Colossians. In this session the five people preaching on Colossians will reflect together on how the situations facing the Colossian Christians long ago remain relevant today. Najla Kasab, Marshall E. Hatch Sr., Laura de Jong, Danny Román-Gloró, and Scott Hoezee will talk about what they observed in crafting their sermons for this year's symposium and on the larger opportunities all preachers have to bring forward Paul's words to address the many crises of our own time.
Vivid imagery, compelling stories, perceptive exegesis, pastoral sensibilities, theological clarity, cultural fittingness--each of these gifts contributes immensely to compelling, transformative preaching. Compelling preaching features the dynamic interplay of each of these strengths. This conversation will explore how these dynamic interactions come about, how we cultivate them, and how the practice of polishing, and studying, exemplary sermons can stretch not only award-winning authors but also those of us struggling to shape compelling sermons for people who may not always seem to appreciate it.
