Current and Past Grants

Since 2000, Vital Worship grants have been awarded to worshiping communities and teacher-scholars in 45+ states and provinces and in 40+ denominations across the spectrum of Christian traditions, including Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, and Non-Denominational communities. While worship practices across these traditions vary widely, grant projects typically explore one or more of the ten core convictions  related to worship that emerged out of the first decade of this grantmaking.

Search results 1 - 10 of 17

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), Rebecca Slough

Elkhart, Indiana | 2021

To explore how the spatial and visual dimensions of congregational worship shape diverse Anabaptist communities, in order to create resources that facilitate culturally-informed reflection on visual arts in worship and to curate visual art resources for use in Anabaptist worship. 

Candler School of Theology, Antonio Alonso

Atlanta, Georgia | 2021

To tell the story of the theological significance of ordinary material objects and the theological convictions they express, in order to encourage deeper attentiveness to the diverse materials through which we worship God.

Dallas International University, Beth Argot

Dallas, Texas | 2021

To study the relationship between historical worship practices and arts and trauma healing practices in order to explore the potential for healing and increased wellbeing of worshipers within the context of public worship.

Dordt University, Jeremy Perigo

Sioux Center, Iowa | 2021

To investigate emerging issues in liturgical theology through podcast and video interviews with scholars and practitioners, in order to empower local ministry leaders and churches to discern theologically and imagine liturgically the characteristics of Christian worship in their own context.

Duke University Divinity School, John Ruth

Durham, North Carolina | 2021

To survey the present state of college and seminary instruction on the theology, history, and practice of contemporary praise and worship, and to engage scholars in conversation around recent and emerging scholarship on contemporary worship in order to create a podcast series and a curriculum guide for worship educators and church practitioners.

Fuller Seminary/Brehm Center, Maria Eugenia Fee

Pasadena, California | 2021

To establish and facilitate a series of arts-based leadership development workshops for pastors and church leaders in order to introduce them to the formational value of the arts in worship and invigorate arts-based worship practices in their faith communities.

Goshen College, John D. Roth

Goshen, Indiana | 2021

To foster ecumenical conversations about baptism by hosting seminars for pastors and lay leaders using a newly created accessible study guide on the recent groundbreaking report of the international Lutheran-Mennonite-Roman Catholic Trilateral Dialogue on Baptism. 

Hope College, Lindsey Hanson

Holland, Michigan | 2021

To investigate emerging theological issues in worship with scholars and practitioners by reflecting on a cross-disciplinary collaboration of dance, architectural design, and film within a worship space, and empowering local ministry leaders and churches to discern theologically and imagine liturgically the characteristics of Christian worship in their own context by engaging curated online media.  

Knox College, Sarah Travis

Toronto, Ontario | 2021

To create and field-test a preaching and liturgical resource addressing reconciliation among Settler Canadians and Indigenous peoples for the Presbyterian Church in Canada, based on two Calls to Action from the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Lee University, Christopher A. Stephenson

Cleveland, Tennessee | 2021

To develop a pneumatological perspective on baptism and the Lord's Supper that nurtures vibrant experiences of the Holy Spirit within traditional liturgical forms and practices, and to encourage substantial Pentecostal contributions to ecumenical dialogue on the sacraments.