Speakers

Listen. Learn. Speakers.

Winter/Spring 2012

Princeton CRC

To Learn more about all of our speakers, click here to read a short bio.

5:00 PM - Small Groups.... Small groups are scary, fun, dangerous and essential. Drawing on the scriptures and a variety of small group "experiences" we will explore together the vital role small groups play in spiritual formation.

January 29 Kevin Adams

9:30 AM - The Psalms ... "Prone to Wonder." Based on Psalm 8, this message will help us explore our sense of creation wonder and praise, to experience what Athanasius said "Among all the books, the psalter has a very special grace."

February 5 Deb and Ron Rienstra

5:00 PM - Names and Verbs: the Cell Biology of Prayer... The way we name God influences what we imagine about God's nature and action, how we pray and what we expect when we pray. Looking to the Bible for guidance, we will practice prayer techniques for private and public prayer that focus on naming God well. Our biblical names for God then lead us to renewed sense of God's action in the world and in our lives.

February 19 John Witvliet

5:00 PM - Gymnasium of the Soul: The Psalms in Worship and Life.... We hear every day about how important physical exercise is. All across Grand Rapids, new gymns are popping up to help take away our excuses about not exercising. In the early church, the Psalms were described as a gymnasium for the soul - a place to flex and sculpt our 'spiritual muscles.' This is, in fact, the foundational idea behind "vertical habits." This service will lead us to reflect on this vital theme, and on ways of building on all we've done so far this year to connect the Psalms and daily life.

February 26 Emily Brink

5:00 PM - International Adoption Agents: How Songs Find New Homes. We will look at (and sing some) psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that have been "adopted," so to speak, from one country or culture to another--both to and from our country, both familiar and new.

March 4 Trygve Johnson

5:00 PM Like Music Press into Vinyl: The Spiritual Practice of Memorizing the Psalms

In this workshop, Rev. Dr. Trygve Johnson (Hinga-Boersma Dean of the Chapel, Hope College) will seek to commend the ancient practice of memorizing the Psalms. We will explore why memorizing the Psalms is a needed spiritual discipline to recover in our lives today, as well as some encouraging ways to begin the practice for yourself and/or your family. In a culture, where everything, even our reading of scripture, is done fast, we will be encouraged to slow down, and “press” the Psalms into our hearts and minds. For the Psalms are where we go to not only read, but to be read by the Word of God.

March 11 Julia Start Fletcher

5:00 PM Movement in Worship

The focus of this time will be to encourage movement within worship liturgy-- the various ways that dance and movement can be incorporated into a worship gathering, from children to adults, from solo work to congregational movement. We will learn simple movements for a few scripture verses and other songs. Be prepared to have fun and worship the Lord!

March 18 Joyce Borger
5:00 PM One Church Many Voices

We say we are one church but when it comes to deciding what to sing many different and sometimes competing voices are heard. How did we get so many different worship music styles? Is one better than another? Do we need to choose just one? Understanding the roots and impulses of different streams of music helps us navigate them better in the context of worship ministry. During this hour we will take a quick tour of the history of music in the church stopping to sing along the way.

April 15 Betsy Steele Halstead

5:00 PM - Invisible Made Visial: Visual Arts and the Church

The visual arts can reflect the deeper meaning and purpose of worship. Together we will explore how the visual has influenced our individual and corporate worship while helping each other deepen our understanding of its role. We will do this through the aid of images and photos from many different churches - discovering the biblical foundation for encouraging disciplined creativity; seeing how every space speaks theologically; and recognizing that visual elements of worship should be purpose-full.

April 29 Gary Schmidt

5:00 PM Stories in Naaman's World

Good stories always pose questions, and often, they are questions that lovingly complicate the already complex world in which we live. We'll be looking at the ways in which stories complicate, and the means by which readers handle those complications.