Kuyper Students Engage Pastors in Worship

Kuyper Music and Worship students lead worship at the recent Regional Pastor’s Conference at Calvin College’s Prince Conference Center. Four students, led by Professor Carol Hochhalter, shared their time and talents to connect with and minister to pastors of the Christian Reformed Church. Alicia Ulrich, Christy Johnson, Paul Riemersma, and Chad McKeown led three half-hour worship sessions at the biennial conference.

Music and Worship Professor Carol Hochhalter has been participating in ministry at this conference for several years. “It is nice to worship with people you don’t have to convince to worship. Coming together with the pastors is particularly sweet. For us, it is nice just to be with them and to offer them the opportunity where they don’t have to lead.”

“I was blessed because I didn't have to look out and see people who were disinterested in the worship,” said Junior Chad McKeown. “Sometimes in your normal congregation, not all the people really want to be there. And some of them care more about the style of music and their own preference. These people, being pastors, wanted to worship. They wanted to sing loudly, raise their hands, and exalt our God. That is what every worship leader dreams of having—a  congregation that does most of your job, relieving us of feeling like we have to be passionate for them.”