1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
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.
To immerse the congregation in a year-long study of the Holy Spirit that is based on preaching, sacraments, creeds and traditions and express this learning through creative writing, dance, drama, visual art and music that produce fruit within the congregation and in service to the community.
To initiate worship renewal in the 154 congregations within the Conference by emphasizing imagination, creativity and the arts as a liturgical focus for congregational and individual renewal by offering a series of retreats and workshops that conclude with a conference wide gathering.
To create opportunities for renewed Anglican-Orthodox dialogue that will deepen understanding of worship grammar and rhetoric and implement and integrate elements of Orthodox piety into worship and devotional life within the bounds of Anglican heritage.
To facilitate multi-generational and multi-cultural education in worship arts with an emphasis on the Psalms that will incorporate unique cultural contributions of people in the congregation from many nations.
To offer regional training institutes that will offer the catechumenal journey as a means of connecting worship and faith formation.
To collaborate with a local congregation in developing workshops on the Lord’s Supper as a mystery to be believed, celebrated and lived that will serve as a guide for adult faith formation.
To explore multi-cultural worship practices, resources and worship leadership that will help the congregation engage with people of other traditions in their community and around the world.
To study the history of worship in the Old Mission and prayer in order to plan and offer a series of ecumenical prayer services that use music and art of various styles and from different religious traditions and cultures that will transform this historic California mission church into a vibrant place of worship.
To train student chapel leaders, staff and the school community in worship from a variety of Christian contexts that will shape worship in chapel to reflect the 56% ethnic minorities and 275 different churches represented in the student body.
To gather the knowledge and resources of churches of many denominations who worship on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by hosting monthly ecumenical worship services and discussions that will promote corporate worship and deepen ecumenical partnerships.
To engage youth in leadership training that will help congregations throughout the Presbytery understand that worship is meaningful to people of all ages and encourage congregations to include youth in planning and leading worship.
To engage the congregation in an inclusive, intergenerational, hospitable process of learning about the Church Year and how the Psalms and Vertical Habits can provide a vocabulary for worship that will deepen understanding and participation in worship.
