CICW has awarded Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants for over 20 years to teacher-scholars and worshiping communities in 45+ states and provinces and across 40+ denominations and traditions—including Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, non-denominational, and other Protestant communities.
While worship styles and practices vary greatly across these traditions, the grant projects typically explore at least one of CICW’s ten core convictions related to worship. Explore the hundreds of projects we’ve funded across both streams of the program.
North/West Lower Michigan Synod
To equip congregations to welcome persons into a community of faith and prepare them for a lifelong journey of discipleship beginning with baptism through an immersion event and a mentoring program.
Peletah Ministries
To elevate and strengthen the worship experience of young adults through the creative arts of music, dance, mime, and spoken word.
Pinnacle Presbyterian Church
To implement an alternative worship service that includes an innovative and participative liturgy using musical styles from around the world that appeal to all ages.
Raymond Village Community Church
To explore the meaning of worship by creating engaging community worship experiences that involve the creative gifts and talents of the congregation in art and prayer.
Resurrection United Methodist Church
To implement a study of the theology of worship that includes Scripture, Psalms, prayer and communion, and to apply this learning to planning worship events.
Robbinsdale United Church of Christ
To deepen understanding and develop creative practices of communion and community in gathering around the table with people of other Christian denominations.
St Andrew's Episcopal Church of Denver
To enrich a contemplative worship service and to explore issues of faith, worship, contemplative prayer and the arts.
St Matthew's Lutheran Church
To create participatory worship experiences utilizing visual, musical, and dramatic arts to promote a multisensory awareness of God' presence, especially for the deaf community.
Twelve: A Foundation for Small Group Ministry
To enrich home-based small group worship gatherings by developing resources of Christian music, symbolic objects and rituals, and creative worship practices.
Andover Newton Theological School
To help seminary students and faculty discern theologically sound and effective uses of technology and visual media in worship through a year-long process of learning about best practices for chapel worship.
Archdiocese of Los Angeles Office For Worship
To create a multicultural church music and liturgy mentoring program to develop the skills and knowledge of high school and college musicians in order to build the liturgical capacity of the parishes in the dioceses of Southern California.
Atascocita Presbyterian Church
To strengthen the presentation of scripture in worship by incorporating artistic elements that appeal to all of the senses.