Religion Commons^™

Program: Featured Lecture, "Lest The Rocks Cry Out.", Amy Bost Henegar

William M. Green Distinguished Christian Lecture Program

Program for the Fortieth Annual William M. Green Distinguished Christian Lecture Program with featured lecturer Dr. Amy Bost Henegar, Minister for Family Life and Spiritual Formation at the Manhattan Church of Christ, New York City, New York.

Worldview, Aspirations, Folkways, And Perceptions Of Folk Muslims: Promising Pathways For Adventist Missions, Jiamah Adil

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

An ethnography conducted in a Muslim community reveals that the incarnational example of Jesus Christ may be relevant in Muslim ministry as the missionary participates in people’s lives and engages them in meaningful conversations. Such approach opens up gospel avenues and wonderful opportunities for Muslims to know about the authentic Adventist faith and lifestyle.

Beliefs And Practices Of The Members Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church Of Mexico, Ramon Diaz-Valladares, Raul Rodriguez, Paola De La Cruz Ing.

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) in Mexico is organized into five geographic zones (Conferences). The instrument Survey 2017 for Members of the SDA, created by the General Conference of SDA, was applied in order to identify the SDA members’ profile in Mexico in relation to aspects related to belief and practice. The sampling scheme used was non-probabilistic for convenience. The sample size was n = 2,351 members of the SDA in Mexico. An exploratory descriptive analysis was carried out in seven key aspects: personal demographics, household demographics and religion, religious behavior and religious roles, attitudes and experiences, wellbeing, beliefs and …

From Bird-Woman To Mermaid: The Shifting Image Of The Medieval Siren, Claire Cannell

Student Research Symposium

During the Middle Ages, the siren transforms from its classical status as grotesque bird-woman into an alluring mermaid. A female monster, the siren represents what is considered monstrous in women. I plan to examine the unstable image of the siren in order to better understand the religious and social status of the medieval European woman. The siren is contextualized among contemporary secular images of female sexuality and the writings of religious authorities such as Leander of Seville, who wrote that all women were either nuns or sirens. I plan to analyze the implications of the nun-siren binary created by Leander …

Generation Z And Faith: The Cognitive, Experiential, And Praxis, Houston Thompson, Nikki Dention, Julia Mcqueen, Abby Groters

Scholar Week 2016 - present

With every generation there is a sociological shift in the way faith is understood and expressed. Generation Z, those born after 1995, have been influenced by post-modernity and a changing worldview. Like generations before them, Generation Z is forming their own interpretations and experiences to define and express faith. This research discovers the attitudes and behaviors of Generation Z about their faith by looking at three aspects: 1) cognitive development; 2) personal experience; 3) expression or practice.

Pastors And Politics: Considerations For Missional Church Leaders Addressing Political Matters, Matthew Stinson

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

We live in a politically divided time. Long-standing questions about the political role of the church have taken on a renewed interest for American Christians who see this political divide widening and have trouble reconciling their beliefs with the platforms of either major party. How ought Church leaders, seeking to lead missional congregations, speak to our current political context?

This paper lays out a framework for political engagement by missional Church leaders. It first offers a definition of a missional church and a missional church leader. Second, it surveys some of the various approaches to Church and State relations in …

Worship 101: Giving Witness To The Unseen, Eric L. Mathis, Paul Ryan

Symposium on Worship Archive

A fundamental task of worship leadership is giving witness to God. Although we do not see God, we do see evidence of God’s work in the world. We bear witness to God’s work in worship through songs, stories, prayers, and words, and we prompt the congregation to do the same as they embody each action of worship. In this seminar, we will explore the ways worshiping communities name, or give witness to, those things that are seen and unseen. Then, we will imagine how communities similar to or different from our own might teach us about our own faithful witness.

Singing Our Savior's Story: Songs For Congregations, Choirs And Worship Teams, James Abbington, Alison Adam, Emily R. Brink, Alfredo Colman, Joel Navarro, Emmet G. Price Iii, Kathleen S. Turner

Symposium on Worship Archive

Explore a rich variety of music that reflects deeply on the life of Jesus, and is appropriate for any service based on one of the four New Testament gospels, including some songs that focus on “telling the story,” others that are adept at “unpacking the meaning of the story,” and still others that “help us see ourselves taken up into the story.” Examples will include historic texts by Watts and Wesley, music from African-American, Asian, Latino, and Anglo contexts appropriate for use in both contemporary and traditional contexts. Come ready to transcend stylistic divides as we focus our attention on …

Singing Poetry, Jan Kraybill

Symposium on Worship Archive

Hymn and song authors across generations and cultures have given us rich expressions with which to shape faith, heal brokenness, transform lives, and renew peace. In this workshop we’ll look at and sing some great examples, and we’ll discuss how best to help our worshiping communities sing poetry with appreciation, enthusiasm, and artistry.

Trinitarian Sacramental Theology, Kimberly Hope Belcher, Todd Billings, Glenn Packiam, M. Sydney Park, Laura A. Smit, John D. Witvliet

Symposium on Worship Archive

It is a remarkable Christian claim that God is active not only in receiving our worship, but also in inspiring, prompting, and perfecting it—drawing us into communion with God and each other. It is also remarkable that God would do this through embodied, material human actions of washing, eating, and drinking. Yet often this central Christian vision is forgotten, ignored, or distorted, and all sorts of believers are never given the opportunity to taste and see God’s beauty in this vivid and nourishing way. This session will be a doxological session, full of praise to God for this gift. It …

Worship In Christian Educational Institutions, Susan Burner, Bo H. Lim, Emmett G. Price Iii, Rod Reed, Anthony Ruff, Joanna Wigboldy

Symposium on Worship Archive

Many Christian educational institutions aim to provide an integrated educational experience in which students grow spiritually. In an institution that exists primarily to educate, what is the role of public worship in the formation of students? Rod Reed will explore five questions that identify and address the unique challenges and goals of public worship on the Christian campus. Panelists from a variety of higher education contexts will then share the ways in which Reed’s questions speak to the way they approach worship on their own campuses. These questions are sure to prompt deep discussion around your institution’s worship. Come with …

Leading Congregational Song From The Organ Bench, John Ferguson

Symposium on Worship Archive

John Ferguson will explore concepts from registrations to basic improvisational techniques to help organists nurture congregational song during worship and encourage singing with greater understanding and spirit. Organists interested in being coached during the seminar are encouraged to prepare a hymn from Lift Up Your Hearts, including an introduction, as if it were for a worship service.

Hidden Prophets Of The Bible: Finding The Gospel In Hosea Through Malachi, Amanda Benckhuysen, Scott Hoezee, Michael J. Williams

Symposium on Worship Archive

Who are the minor prophets? What do they have to say? Why should any of us care? This delegation of twelve strange men has arrived at our church from their obscure biblical backwaters. Should we let them in? This seminar will explore the contours of these biblical books with an eye toward teaching and preaching them vibrantly

Worship In Times Of Crisis And Trauma, Anthony L. Bennett, Nancy Kingwood, Nikki Lerner, Bo H. Lim, Kathy Smith

Symposium on Worship Archive

How can we plan and lead worship in the midst of a crisis or in the aftermath of a traumatic situation? Whether we’ve faced a school shooting or a racially fueled event or simply recognized the many traumatic experiences in the lives of the people in our congregations, we need to understand the issues involved and be able to process them well in the context of worshiping God. We need to lead the people in expressing their laments to God as well as assure them of God’s healing presence. This seminar will share the wisdom of leaders who’ve been “through …

Worship And Culture, John A. Azumah, Monique M. Ingalls, Terry Leblanc, Robert Chao Romero, Leopoldo Sánchez, John D. Witvliet

Symposium on Worship Archive

All pastoral leaders, including worship leaders, are called to make decisions with discernment about culture. We are called to “not conform to this world” (Rom. 12) and yet to “be all things to all people” for the sake of the gospel (1 Cor. 9:22). At its best, Christian worship is richly contextual. It is also countercultural. To make discerned choices about how worship relates to culture, we need the wisdom of believers from many different cultural contexts to teach and guide us, to keep us from rejecting what should not be rejected and embracing what should not be embraced. We …

Desde La Salida Del Sol / From The Rising Of The Sun: A Bilingual Service, Tony Alonso

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.

Amos 8:1-7: The Savior Of Justice For The Needy, Timothy Blackmon, The Psalm Project

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.

Developing A Canon Of Song For Your Church, Constance Cherry

Symposium on Worship Archive

How much intentionality comes to bear on the collection of congregational songs your church sings over time? As worship leaders, we are responsible not only for choosing excellent songs, but also for providing for the overall balance and appropriateness of the church’s body of song.

Children's Books About Worship, Kristen Verhulst, Maria Eugenia Cornou Phd, Joel Schoon-Tanis

Symposium on Worship Archive

There are a number of wonderful children’s books that help church school leaders, educators, parents, and grandparents teach children about worship. These books focus on the sacraments, the Christian year, the psalms, and prayer. Children’s books provide another means to welcome and engage children (and adults!) in worship as full members of the body of Christ. At the beginning of this session hear from the coauthor and illustrator of the new children’s book En la escuela de los Salmos/At Psalms School.

Vital Worship In Congregations, Schools, And Other Worshiping Communities, Terri Gaeddert, Rosi Penner Kaufman, Anthony Ruff, Anthony L. Bennett, Nancy Kingwood, Dale Sieverding Sld, Kathy Smith

Symposium on Worship Archive

Would your church, school, or organization benefit from a year of learning how to revitalize your worship? Come and learn about the Vital Worship Grants Program, which seeks to foster vital worship in congregations, parishes, and other worshiping communities in North America through projects on a variety of worship-related topics. Meet some former grant recipients, hear about their experiences, and learn how you might develop your own grant proposal.

Worship 101: Skills & Drills For The Emerging Worship Leader, Paul Ryan

Symposium on Worship Archive

What skills are needed for faithful worship leadership? How does an aspiring worship leader develop these skills? In this seminar we will introduce two essential practices: leading in prayer and leading in song. For each practice, we will explore multiple drills that emerging worship leaders can repeat in order to grow in confidence and ability. This seminar is designed especially for emerging worship leaders and those who mentor them.

Strengthening The Soul Of Your Leadership, Ruth Haley Barton

Symposium on Worship Archive

Do you ever feel as if your leadership is something you “put on” for particular occasions rather than a dynamic that emerges from deep within you? Is the pressure to perform compromising your own experience of worship? Do you find yourself manufacturing emotion as you lead others because your own intimacy with God has grown cold? In this workshop we will share honestly about the challenges of spiritual leadership in a high-performance culture. Ruth Haley Barton will help you assess the state of your soul and then explore crucial disciplines for strengthening the soul of your leadership.

New Song. A Skillful Song., Tony Alonso, Emily R. Brink, Greg Scheer, Liz Vice

Symposium on Worship Archive

Those of us who feel Psalm 33’s call to write new songs must remember that the psalm also tells us to play skillfully. In this seminar we will focus on the skills of songwriting for congregations, digging into what it means to balance inspiration and perspiration. Join these singer-songwriters as they speak about their approaches to creating new texts, new tunes, and the combining of texts and tunes. The afternoon will be spent discussing participants’ song submissions. Attendees of all levels and musical styles will benefit from this seminar.

Worship And Faith Formation Through The Life Cycle, Lynn Barger Elliott, Laura Kelly Fanucci, Syd Hielema, Barbara J. Newman, Kathy Smith

Symposium on Worship Archive

How do children worship best? How can worship help young people through the teen and young adult years? What practices of worship resonate most with adults and elderly people? And how can we include people of all abilities in worship? This seminar will look at the human life cycle and the developmental stages that all people grow through in their faith formation, and we’ll consider what this means for how people of all ages and abilities can participate fully in worship.

Evening Prayer: Lord, For Thy Tender Mercies Sake, John Ferguson, The Choral Scholars

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.

Sing To The Lord: A Service Of Song, The Psalm Project

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.

Moving Worship: Encouragement To Engage Our Bodies In Worship, Julia Start Fletcher

Symposium on Worship Archive

This session is designed for anyone curious about dance as well as those with dance experience. Participants will engage in conversation around the questions “What IS liturgical dance?” and “How can I equip my congregation with the tools to feel comfortable moving?” Learn how to encourage movement with choreography to the Lord’s Prayer that’s accessible to those of all abilities, and understand how to cultivate an atmosphere of trust.

Making Worship A Verb For All Ages: Cultivating Worship Awareness And Inviting Response, Terri Gaeddert, Rosi Penner Kaufman

Symposium on Worship Archive

WorshipArts at Rainbow Mennonite Church in Kansas City is a program for K-5th grade congregants. Influenced by the Reggio Emilia teaching and learning approach, this program offers children the opportunity to respond to worship, ask questions, and become more aware of the language, ritual, movement, sound, and art incorporated in worship. A Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Worship Institute in 2014–15 provided the resources to expand awareness and integration of the program more fully into the worship life of the Rainbow congregation.

Habakkuk 3:17-19: The God Of Joy In The Midst Of Our Troubles, Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Western Theological Seminary

Symposium on Worship Archive

Led by Western Theological Seminary; Cornelius Plantinga Jr., preaching

Hosea: 11:1-11: The Heart Of The Divine Parent, Ahmi Lee, Nikki Lerner, Proskuneo

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.