1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2025 91
You don’t have to be Black or attend a predominantly Black church to celebrate Juneteenth with appreciation and respect. Many resources are available for your congregation to cosponsor or plan a God-honoring Juneteenth event or worship service.
Pastor and educator Rasool Berry hosted and coproduced the award-winning documentary Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom. He explains why US Christians of every race and culture can and should celebrate God’s work through people to announce and enforce freedom from slavery.
While completing a grant on playfulness in worship, Sarah Travis began to see connections between play and trauma. 91ing God through embodied, imaginative, and story-based practices helps people and congregations stuck in trauma begin to move toward healing and new life.
An emerging initiative to translate contemporary Korean worship songs into English is yielding fruitful questions and collaborations. The project is building ecumenical and generational community while introducing English speakers to Korean Christians’ ardent commitment to God, both personally and communally.
Korean Christians worldwide enjoy contemporary worship songs by Korean composers, but these are seldom sung in the main Sunday liturgies of Korean Protestant churches. An emerging initiative to translate Korean heart songs to English can unite different worshiping generations and cultures. This initiative can also help Korean and English-speaking churches identify, appreciate, and question their cultural views on worship.
Resources to help churches and other faith communities do ministry with people affected by adverse childhood experiences or other trauma.
This worship service centers on the story of the friend at midnight in Luke 11:5-13. Sandra McCracken, in collaboration with the Calvin University 91 Apprentices and their mentor, Paul Ryan, lead congregational worship. Janette Ok delivers the sermon, and Becca Tellinghuisen leads the scripture reading.
This worship service features music led by the Calvin University Capella and the Hope College Chapel Choir, directed by Mark Stover and Eric Reyes and accompanied by organist Rhonda Sider Edgington. Nicole Massie Martin gives the sermon on the persistent widow of Luke 18:1-8.
This service of the word and table includes a message on Luke 10 from Kevin Adams, who reflects on the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son. Communion is celebrated following the message. Proskuneo Ministries leads the music, and the Calvin University Ministry Leadership Cohort, alongside their mentor, Joanna Wigboldy, guides the liturgy.
This worship service focuses on the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. The Holland Christian High School Symphonic Orchestra, directed by Scott VandenBerg, leads the music with accompaniment from Alexis VanZalen. Calvin University’s Awakening group leads congregational singing featuring a selection of emerging bilingual Korean-English songs. Andrea Bult delivers the message, and students from Calvin University’s Ministry Leadership Cohort, alongside their mentor, Noel Snyder, guide the liturgy.
This worship service is musically led by Symposium contributor Raymond Wise and the Calvin University Gospel Choir, directed by Nate Glasper. Dennis Edwards delivers the message on Luke 16:19-31, “The Rich Man and Lazarus.”
Not many churches in Africa or elsewhere often include songs about social justice in worship. Kenyan scholar and musician Reuben Kigame believes that re-examining what the Bible says about justice and the good news should shift what we define as music appropriate for worship.
