Calvin University celebrates 150th year with focus on Psalms

Registration recently opened for The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship’s 2026 conference, titled Psalms 150: A Conference Experience. The institute, a branch of Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich., will host the conference in February 2026 as the flagship event of its year celebrating the Psalms. The number 150 in the conference’s title refers to both the number of Psalms in the Bible and the university’s 150th anniversary.

The Psalms conference will replace the institute’s biggest event, its yearly symposium on worship. The conference seeks to explore how the Biblical Psalms should shape public worship and all other areas of Christian life, according to its website.

The Institute of Christian Worship is also helping sponsor over a dozen Psalm festivals in several states throughout the next year as part of its celebration of the Psalms, which kicked off in September.

What are some of the events planned for the conference?

• Several worship services of Psalm-based music and prayers from a variety of eras and Christian traditions

• A session on how to preach the Psalms in historical, literary, and theological context

• Live painting throughout the conference by artist Joel Schoon-Tanis

• A session on sponsoring local songwriting, art, and prayer inspired by the Psalms

• Art-making sessions, including mixed media, music, and movement

Dig deeper: Read Grace Snell’s feature in WORLD Magazine on missionaries from the Global South to the West.