Resources by Cindy Holtrop

Mental Illnesses and Worship: Prayer, Lament, Language, and Discipleship
Discipleship Lament Mental Health Prayer
October 25, 2018

The following discussion is from the second part of a session led by Dr. Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, Rev. Cindy Holtrop, Dr. Warren Kinghorn, and Dr. John Swinton at the Calvin Symposium on Worship in January 2018. The first section appeared in Reformed Worship 129 and dealt with the promises and pitfalls around public worship and mental health. The rest of the session focuses on prayer.

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Mental Illnesses and Worship: Promises and Pitfalls in Preparing for and Practicing Public Worship
Body of Christ (the church) Differing Abilities Mental Health Worship Planning
August 6, 2018

The following is an adapted transcript of the first part of a session led by Dr. Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, Rev. Cindy Holtrop, Dr. Warren Kinghorn, and Dr. John Swinton at the Calvin Symposium on Worship, held in January 2018 at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this first section they discuss together the promises and pitfalls of worship and mental illnesses. The remaining portion of this session focuses on prayer and will appear in RW 130.

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What Gabriel's Profession of Faith Means to Him, His Family, and His Church
Differing Abilities Profession of Faith
June 1, 2009

In early 2007, Gabriel Surjana, 16, began reaching for the communion cup and the tray of bread as it was passed in worship. Before that he had shown interest, but now he was indicating in his own way that he wanted to eat and drink the Lord’s Supper like his parents, Pearl Shangkuan and Okke Surjana. So they explored with his Sunday school teachers the possibility of Gabriel professing his faith in Christ at their church, Neland Avenue Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Space for Grace
Hospitality Love for Others Stranger
March 1, 2001

During the last year I have been leading workshops and retreats on hospitality for many churches. Congregations who want to be hospitable can benefit from seeing their building, their practices, and their worship services through the eyes of a visitor.

I developed the following service for Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Langley, British Columbia, a congregation committed to hospitality and to welcoming neighbors to their faith community.

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Preparing The Way For Jesus
Advent Annunciation Baptism of Christ Christmas Elizabeth John the Baptist Nativity
September 1, 1994

Are you looking for a way to make the Scripture narrative come alive for your congregation during Advent and Christmas this year? Try a program based on one of the gospel accounts of Christ's birth. Make the experience even more meaningful by basing your Advent sermon series on the same passages.

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