This conference, part of CICW’s year of dwelling in the psalms, takes place February 5–6, 2026. Worship services and breakout sessions will explore the many ways the biblical psalms form, encourage, and inspire Christians in their public worship and daily life.
Registration opens today for Registration opens for Psalms 150: A Conference Experience , hosted by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW) on the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary. The conference, scheduled for February 5–6, 2026, is the flagship event of CICW’s year of dwelling in the psalms, which kicked off in September. This Psalms-centered year is a multifaceted initiative that emphasizes both CICW’s Reformed roots and its ecumenical audience, and it coincides with the 150th anniversary of the founding of the college and seminary.
The Psalms 150 event shines a spotlight on the book of Psalms, the songbook and prayer book of the Bible. Through plenary worship services and breakout sessions, the conference will help attendees explore the many ways the biblical psalms—with their words of wonder, trust, questioning, joy, thanksgiving, lament, and more—form, encourage, and inspire Christians in their public worship and daily life.
Conference highlights include the following:
- Psalm Festival worship services featuring psalm-based music and prayers from various times, places, and Christian traditions.
- Psalm Talk plenary sessions featuring pastoral reflections and stories, music, visual arts, and other creative expressions. Speakers will include Jared E. Alcántara, Amanda Benckhuysen, Karen Campbell, Cynthia Eriksson, Rawn Harbor, Darlene Wildman, and Terry M. Wildman.
- Breakout sessions on topics such as soul care, spiritual practices, singing, songwriting, visual arts, writing, Christian formation, preaching, human resilience, reconciliation, and cultural perspectives—all through the lens of the psalms. See the list of contributors at the event page.
- Live painting by Joel Schoon-Tanis, illustrator of En la escuela de los Salmos / At Psalms School, throughout the conference experience.
“Our work at CICW has connected us to many people engaged in thoughtful, imaginative work around the Psalms,” said Kathy Smith, CICW’s interim director. “The Psalms 150 gathering builds on those connections as we explore both new and ancient ways to dwell in the psalms. We hope the conference will be a beautiful experience for worship planners and leaders, pastors, musicians, artists, writers, worshipers, and all those who love the psalms.”
Register at worship.calvin.edu/events.
Psalms 150: A Conference Experience takes the place of the annual Calvin Symposium on Worship in 2026—a unique interlude during this Psalms-focused year. Plenary worship and psalm festival services will be livestreamed from CICW’s YouTube channel as well as posted for viewing later.
In addition to this conference and other on-campus Psalms events, CICW is planning cosponsored events in other regions and is supporting worshiping communities throughout the United States and Canada as they host public Psalm Festivals in 2025 and 2026.
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About CICW
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, located at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is an interdisciplinary study and ministry center that promotes the scholarly study of the theology, history, and practice of Christian worship and the renewal of worship in worshiping communities across North America and beyond.
Contact:
Kathy Smith
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
[email protected]
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