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Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies
as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 12:1 

All to you Lord, I surrender.

As we hit the one year mark of Covid 19 in our lives, we think of the opportunities for surrender we have faced and continue to face each day. We think of all the troubles that wash over us — some that we may not have even yet identified because of our daily demands and care for others. Now is the time to surrender. Give up your own will. Take one moment to quiet your mind. In your own thoughts and heart, switch the paradigm and speak words to yourself of God's truth and presence. Pray to our gracious Lord with hands open to surrender. Surrender your weary burdens to the Lord God who knows you better than anyone. God loves you and is at work through you as you do God’s kingdom work in your daily living. We thank God for you — your dedication to persevere during these difficult times, your grace extended even when it wasn't received and the many gifts that you offer for God's glory. We appreciate you and thought you might need to hear that today.

As Easter may bring many newcomers to your church may God move mightily in your services and congregations to touch the lost so that they too come to surrender to our Jesus who saves.

—Laura Meyering (Administrative Coordinator)

As always know that you remain in our prayers. If there is something specific we can pray for or if there is another way we can support you please email worship@crcna.org. 

Worship Ministries Staff
Rev. Joyce Borger
Pastor Katie Roelofs
Pastor Jeremy Simpson
Mrs. Laura Meyering

What’s happening in Worship Ministries

Tuesday Roundtable Discussions

Join us on Tuesdays at 1:00 EST on Zoom for roundtable discussions about a variety of topics from worship planning, to COVID changes for churches, to technology, and much more. If you’ve got specific questions or ideas to share we welcome you for these weekly conversations. No RSVP necessary. Click here to join the zoom meeting! Contact Katie Roelofs with questions at kroelofs@crcna.org

Black Church Documentary

On March 4, Pastors Jeremy Simpson and Katie Roelofs hosted Rev. Denise Posie and Rev. Dr. Reggie Smith for a conversation about the Black Church documentary which aired on PBS in February. The full conversation was recorded and can be found on our YouTube page.

Tech Q&A

Save the date for a Technology Q&A session on Thursday, March 25 at 1:30. We will have people available to answer questions about livestreaming, sound systems and copyright/permissions for virtual streaming. Register in advance for this webinar by clicking on the following link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the zoom link.

Kevin Adams Book Discussion

Save the date for an upcoming book discussion with Kevin Adams about his book “Gospel in a Handshake: Framing Worship for Mission.” If you haven’t had a chance to read this book, grab a copy so you’re ready for this conversation with Kevin. This discussion will take place on April 28 at 2:00 EST.  Sign up here to receive the zoom link.

Worship Resources

Holy Week/Easter

There are several Lenten resources available on the Network

Church Highlight

Greetings from the climate catastrophe capital of the U.S., Houston, Texas! The latest winter wallop hit Houston (and Texas) hard. But we've learned to jump from hurricanes, to flooding, to winter snow and ice storms, to heat waves without missing a beat. No electricity, no water, no food on the grocery shelves? No problem for hardy Houstonians, we just keep bouncing back!

My name is Stan Armor and I serve as the worship director at New Life CRC in Spring, Texas (on the north side of Houston). New Life is a small church with a really big heart. God has blessed us with a church planting ministry from local plants to literally around the world. We also serve our community through a Christian-worldview pre-school, several community ministry partners, as well as discipleship and bible study groups throughout the church.

Since Covid, our worship ministry has taken on a different look. Last spring we were jarred from a normal Sunday of worship by suddenly having to figure out how to stream a service over the internet the very next week, worshipping with no people in the sanctuary, and staying connected with our church body. Being ready and willing to adapt and improvise were our two biggest allies. We started live-streaming our service with no congregation, then moved to pre-recording the service in advance (again no congregation), video editing the service and broadcasting Sundays on Facebook. Now we are doing live worship with people (masks and distancing) and streaming the service for those who are not yet comfortable being back in a congregational setting.

How can you pray? Well, presently we are meeting in our fellowship hall for worship because our lobby and sanctuary were flood damaged during the latest storm. Unfortunately, right now the wait for plumbers and insurance companies can be long and supplies for repairs in short supply, so please pray for a breakthrough. Also, pray that we may continue to be a place of grace that will flow through Spring to the surrounding metropolitan Houston area. Through all of this, we gather for worship and celebrate that God is in control! We sing songs of thanksgiving, hope, healing, and praise God for his unfailing love, grace, and mercy!

Things of Note

  • Worship Ministries is growing our social media presence! Find us on Facebook and Instagram — @crcworshipministries  There is also a private Facebook group for acting worship leaders and worship ministers in the CRC — CRC Worship Ministries. It’s a great place to post questions and learn from and support each other. (There is also a public CRC Worship Ministries facebook page which we use to promote opportunities more broadly.) Connect with us!

  • Feedback needed. Reformed Worship (published by CRC Worship Ministries) is committed to serving you by providing the best resources for your worship community. Help us better understand your needs as worship planner and leader by taking this quick 5-minute survey. Even if you are not familiar with Reformed Worship your feedback will be helpful.   

  • Podcast series coming soon! Worship Catalyzer, Jeremy Simpson is working on a podcast series for CRC Worship Ministries. If you have ideas for podcast stories, email him jsimpson@crcna.org

Upcoming Opportunities
  • Fuller Seminary’s Well-Formed Worship Leader Cohort:  Register now for a spot in their 10 week cohort, beginning on April 18.

  • Two learning opportunities for training high school worship leaders

  • Calling Hymn Writers!  Getty Music will launch the second round of its International Hymn Writing Collective on March 17. The program aims to develop the skills of writers who seek to compose congregational songs full of deep theology, profound poetry, and stirring melodies.  Registration is now open for the spring 2021 semester although spaces are limited in order to give personalized attention to each registrant—those who are interested are encouraged to sign up soon to reserve their place at www.gettymusic.com/hymnwriting

  • CRCNA Events Calendar, check the full, updated CRCNA calendar here.

We are grateful for the ministry shares that make all of this possible along with the support of generous donors. Help this ministry continue its work by donating now.

The conversation continues on . . .
Facebook
Worship Ministries
Reformed Worship
The Network
Your support equips worship in the CRC.
Please consider making a donation to Worship Ministries.
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Worship Ministries of the Christian Reformed Church
Copyright 2021 CRCNA. All rights reserved.



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