Howard Vanderwell is a resource development specialist for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship; he was previously the pastor of Hillcrest Christian Reformed Church, Hudsonville, Michigan.
Articles by this author:
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Unity, Reconciliation, Justice
A Series on the Belhar ConfessionThe following is a collection of building blocks for a series of worship services based on key themes from the Belhar Confession. This series is adapted from the longer version available on the website of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (worship.calvin.edu.) A few notes:
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Dwelling with Philippians
Five Services on Joyful LivingPhilippians has been the focus for Bible study groups on the campus of Calvin College and Hope College in Michigan during this past year. More than 1,500 students participated in small-group Bible studies, which often included a combination of faculty, staff, and students. A number of churches across the country also joined the study.
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"Flee to the Eucharist"
The Lord's Supper as Soul-CareCertain experiences are pregnant with new insight, usually more than we recognize at the time. One of those experiences gave me new insights on the Lord’s Supper.
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A Case for Collaboration: Practical Advice for Planning Worship Together
Norma de Waal Malefyt (norma.malefyt@calvin.edu) and Howard Vanderwell (howard.vanderwell@calvin.edu) are Resource Development Specialists at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. This article is adapted from their new book (see box) based on many years of fruitful collaboration as senior pastor and music director at Hillcrest Christian Reformed Church, Hudsonville, Michigan.
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Books: Prayers in Times of Crisis & Prayers During the Night
Liturgy Training Publications, Archdiocese of Chicago, Ill., 2003. 57 pp. $4.00. www.ltp.org.
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Book and Video: How We Seek God Together: Exploring Worship Style
Linda Clark, Joanne Swenson, and Mark Stamm. The Alban Institute, 2001. www.alban.org. Book (137 pp.) and video.
Many books and articles are written about worship today, especially about the style of worship. But these three authors and the Alban Institute have found a way to deal with the issues in a very compelling way.
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One Faith, Many Cultures: Orange Korean Christian Reformed Church, Fulerton, California
Imagine listening to a conversation in which people identify themselves by numbers. One person says, "I'm a 1." "I'm a 2," says another. Someone else chimes in, "I'm a 1.5"; still another claims to be a 1.2, Everyone laughs.
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The Belgic Confession in Q&A Format page 1 of 3
The Only God
What do you believe about God?
We all believe in our hearts
and confess with our mouths
that there is a single
and simple spiritual being,
whom we call God.
What do you believe about the nature of this God?
God is eternal,
incomprehensible,
invisible,
unchangeable, -
The Belgic Confession in Q&A Format page 2 of 3
The Work of Christ
What do you believe about God's plan of salvation?
We believe that God—
who is perfectly merciful
and also very just—
sent his Son to assume the nature
in which the disobedience had been committed,
in order to bear in it the punishment of sin -
The Belgic Confession in Q&A Format page 3 of 3
The Order and Discipline of the Church
How should the church of Christ be governed?
We believe that
although it is useful and good
for those who govern the churches
to establish and set up
a certain order among themselves
for maintaining the body of the church,
they ought always to guard against deviating
from what Christ,
our only Master,
