Jan. 24, 2008, Grand Rapids, Mich. - The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship has received a $7 million grant to support programs for worship renewal locally, nationally and internationally.
John Witvliet, the institute's director, and Gaylen Byker, president of Calvin College, made the announcement today as hundreds of pastors and worship leaders from around the world descended on the college for the 2008 Calvin Symposium on Worship.
The grant comes from the Lilly Endowment Inc., an Indianapolis-based philanthropic foundation that has supported the institute ever since it began its work in 1998.
"We are deeply grateful for this generous support," says Byker. "It enables us to live out Calvin's commitment to contribute to vital Christian practices in a variety of settings across North America and beyond."
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship is set to embark on its second decade of programming with new opportunities to shape national and international conversations about worship practices, says Witvliet.
In the last 10 years, the institute has used its funding to give more than 450 grants to congregations and other groups involved in worship. It has also welcomed more than 15,000 people from more than 40 countries to conferences and training events.
In addition, the institute has produced more than 30 books and developed an extensive website (www.calvin.edu/worship) with help from more than 70 current and former Calvin College faculty and staff, over 300 other conference presenters and writers, and over two dozen other ecumenical organizations, publishers, colleges, denominations, and seminaries.
But the institute is about more than raw numbers, Witvliet stressed. "We are much more interested in having a single congregation discover the life-changing joy and profound significance of authentic Christian worship than simply perpetuating conferences and publications for their own sake. All of our work is directed toward renewed vitality in Christian worship and living."
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship was to kick off its annual Worship Symposium Thursday with two keynote addresses - one by an Emory University music professor and other by a University of Southern California philosophy professor. Both will be available as a live video stream.
To access the live video click here
<http://www.calvin.edu/worship/sympos> . RealPlayer media software, which is needed to view the speech, can be downloaded through the symposium site here <http://www.calvin.edu/admin/webmanager/realplayer/ .
The symposium, which draws participants from many denominations, has become a major event in the life of the Christian Reformed Church, says Nathan Bierma, communications and research coordinator for the institute.
In 2007, 41 of 47 CRC classes, and 195 out of 1,057 congregations were represented. "Many churches came in groups, also including elders, musicians, worship committee members, and/or youth leaders and young people," says Bierma.
For more information on the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, contact Witvliet at 616-526-6806
For the full story see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2007-08/worship-grant.htm
-Calvin College communications
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Henry Hess
Director of Communication
Christian Reformed Church
To learn more about the Christian Reformed Church visit www.crcna.org <http://www.crcna.org