Celebrate the Jubilee
There are many ways to celebrate the Jubilee. Included here are a variety of ideas: conferences and other events to attend, suggestions from ideas! For Church Leaders, art to make your very own mask of John Calvin and even some ideas for personal commitments you can make to become more steeped in the literature and legacy of John Calvin.
Create the ultimate Calvin Jubilee celebration for your congregation with the Calvin Congregational Study Pak
Westminster John Knox Press, Congregational Ministries Publishing and the Office of Theology and Worship are pleased to offer you the newest John Calvin resources in one complete set.
The Calvin Congregational Study Pak includes:
Five copies of John Calvin: Reformer for the 21st Century by William Stacy Johnson
Enhanced with questions for discussion and a handy glossary, this title is sure to be an
invaluable resource for those who seek an accessible way into a deeper understanding
of Calvin’s impact on the development of Christian faith and on society.
One copy of John Calvin: His Life & Legacy 60-minute DVD
Combining insightful interviews of well-known Calvin scholars with stunning visuals of
Geneva, Strasbourg and Paris, this documentary film will stimulate audiences and inspire
a greater passion and understanding of their history as Reformed Christians. Complete
with 20-page study guide.
One copy of "Calvin Looks Forward" by Kelly Rider
With rich detail and vibrant color, this high-quality, suitable-for-framing poster
commemorates the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth and the church’s
celebration of the Calvin Jubilee.
For anyone planning a Calvin celebration, this is a must-have set sure to stimulate your congregation and inspire a greater passion and understanding of their history as Reformed Christians.
$95.00
Save 25% off the retail price of the items purchased individually
To order, phone (800) 524-2612 or email and ask for PDS # 0609CCK.
Attend a Calvin Jubilee conference
Events will take place all year around the world. Find a conference.
John Calvin 500!
Joseph D. Small
Director, Theology
Worship and Education
Many Presbyterians greet the news that 2009 will mark the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth with a yawn, a roll of the eyes, or even a derisive snort. Why are we so dismissive of our forebear in the Reformed tradition?
Lutherans adore Martin Luther. Methodist hearts are strangely warmed by John Wesley. Anglicans even have a sardonic fondness for Henry VIII. But Presbyterians are uncertain about John Calvin and his legacy. Calvin is not a Reformed idol. John Calvin would have been pleased by our reluctance to revere him. He did not want to be idolized by future generations. In order to discourage veneration, he specified that he be buried in Geneva’s common cemetery in an unmarked grave. Contemporary visitors to Geneva may stumble upon Rue Calvin, but his house no longer stands, and no one even knows where it was.
We need not put Calvin on a pedestal in order to appreciate the ways in which his perspectives on Christian faith and life have shaped Reformed churches throughout the world, and continue to shape our church today. [Keep reading]
Suggestions for way to celebrate or observe the Calvin Jubilee
Read Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion
Observe the Calvin Jubilee by reading through John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Choose from either of these opportunities to read together with other Presbyterians:
Princeton Theological Seminary provides an online reading project — A Year with John Calvin. This interactive Web site offers the opportunity to read the Institutes and reflections papers and to comment on both. Learn more.
The Foundation for Reformed Theology suggests reading the Institutes in 2009 and provides a downloadable plan for doing this at about six pages a day, five days a week (with holidays off) for 50 weeks. Download their reading plan. 
Read more about Calvin
Visit the official bookstore of the Calvin 500 celebration for Reformed resources, including numerous works on and or by John Calvin.
Hold a special worship service
The Rev. John Bush of Decatur, Alabama, has prepared an excellent set of liturgical resources after the manner of Calvin's Form of Church Prayers (first published in Strasbourg in 1545 and Geneva in 1542). Download a Service for the Lord’s Day.
Download hymns for the Lord's Day Service
- The Apostles' Creed by David Gambrell
- Commandments of God by David Gambrell
Download the World Alliance of Reformed Churches official hymn for the Calvin Jubilee, written by Greg Scheer.
Download a hymn for the Calvin Jubilee, Great God of Every Blessing by David Gambrell.
Download Our God, We Are a Church Reformed, a hymn celebrating the faith of the Reformed tradition (inspired by the Book of Order G-2.0500) by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette.
Who is that masked man?
Calvin Jubilee 2009 celebrated Reformer’s 500th birthday
Alan Villesvik tries on an alter ego with the Calvin mask in honor of John Calvin’s Jubilee. Photo by Danny Bolin
SAN JOSE, June 27, 2008 — Commissioners and guests arriving at the PC(USA)’s 218th General Assembly in San Jose, Calif., encountered John Calvin — lots and lots of John Calvins.
Wandering around the San Jose Convention Center, participants greeted each other from behind cardboard John Calvin masks that were distributed by the Theology Worship and Education (TWE) booth in the GA exhibit hall. “We brought 1,500 cardboard masks to announce the 2009 Calvin Jubilee, a celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformer’s birth,” said the Rev. Mark Hinds, general editor of Congregational Ministries Publishing and managing editor for Witherspoon Press. “We started passing out the masks on Friday and by Tuesday they were all gone! People were so enthusiastic about the mask. It is encouraging that Calvin is not forgotten.”
Assembly participants were invited to share photos of themselves with their Calvin masks at various venues during the national meeting. Hinds hopes to extend this photo project well beyond the Assembly experience. “We want people to send us Calvin mask photos from their congregations, homes and travels,” Hinds said. TWE plans to link pictures on their Web site in celebration of Calvin’s worldwide theological influence. [Keep reading]
Make your own Calvin mask
Download either the 11 x 17 version or the 8 1/2 x 11 version of the Calvin mask and follow the instructions. Then send us a picture of you with your mask. Don't forget to tell us your name. Your picture may be featured online.
Where in the world is Calvin?
Other resources
- Celebrate Calvin by changing the world, WARC says at launch of Calvin book.
- North Alabama Presbytery’s plan for the Calvin Jubilee.
- Files marked with this icon can be downloaded in printable Adobe Acrobat format. This file requires the free Acrobat Reader. For best results, right-click the link (or click and hold for Macintosh), select " save target as" and save the document to your desktop for viewing and printing.
