Worship Institute awards $300,000 in grants for worship renewal
Now in its 13th year, the Worship Renewal Grants program is awarding more than $300,000 to support a variety of worship renewal projects in 31 churches, schools and seminaries across the continent. Grant recipients for 2012 represent congregations and schools from 12 denominations in 18 states and one Canadian province. And those 31 recipients now join a group of more than 500 such past recipients since the program’s first year in 2000!
In New York a congregation whose building was destroyed by lightning will use salvaged items to create art for worship, art that gives opportunity for lament, hope and healing both for its community and for other churches that have experienced loss.
A coast away, a California congregation will work to more closely connect baptism and the Psalms, while in south Florida a collaboration of pastors will explore issues impacting worship in African American churches.
These three projects, and 28 more, are part of the Worship Renewal Grants program (housed at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in Grand Rapids, Mich.), whose recipients were announced today.
Now in its 13th year, the Worship Renewal Grants program in 2012 is awarding more than $300,000 to support a variety of worship renewal projects in 31 churches, schools and seminaries across the continent. Grant recipients for 2012 represent congregations and schools from 12 denominations in 18 states and one Canadian province. And those 31 recipients now join a group of more than 500 such past recipients since the program’s first year in 2000!
Worship renewal deeply rooted in Scripture
Betty Grit, the manager of the Worship Renewal Grants program, said that projects funded in the past have explored how “disciplined creativity, theological integrity and healthy leadership practices work together, through the power of God’s Spirit, to deeply impact the life of a congregation and its community for generations.”
This year’s projects, she said, are no different.
“Worship renewal takes many forms,” she added, “but it is always deeply rooted in Scripture and provides multiple opportunities for worshipers of all ages to engage in learning and exploration that leads to the full, conscious and active participation of all worshipers—the young and old, the powerless and powerful, newcomers and lifelong worshipers. We are eager to see this happen again with our 2012 grant recipients.”
A gift for which we pray
John Witvliet, director of the CICW, added that the 2012 projects will help the Worship Institute in its own work of both 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.
“These projects have much to teach us,” he said, “and we are eager to learn from them. But we know too that worship renewal is not something that human ingenuity or creativity alone can produce or engineer. It is a gift of God’s Spirit, a gift for which we pray, rather than an accomplishment we achieve. So, even as we announce these grants, and as we look forward to the work these recipients will do in the coming year, we also pray.”
June will bring current and past recipients together
For the 2012 grant recipients, learning will begin in earnest this June when project directors for all 31 grants gather on Calvin’s campus to dialogue not only with CICW staff, but also with the recipients of 2011 grants, who will come to campus to share the results of their year-long project.
“The getting-together of both old and new grant recipients is intentional,” said Grit, “and fruitful.”
“It is an opportunity,” she said, “for learning and conversation that encourages and provides resources for worship renewal. It is a wonderful time together for the grant recipients.”
The Worship Renewal Grants Program is generously supported by Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. Founded in 1937, the Endowment’s major areas of concern are community development, education, and religion.
The next application deadline for the Worship Renewal Grants Program is January 10, 2013.
~written by Phil de Haan, posted April 24, 2012