1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2025 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 explore, in conjunction with the Commission on Small Churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, methods where small congregations can design excellent intergenerational worship practices
To prepare college, university, and seminary students for musician and clergy positions in churches through a worship conference
To conduct a series of workshops that focus on the role of art and its impact on worship
To conduct an ecumenical workshop in liturgical dance to train leaders in the use of liturgical dance in worship, and to hold a liturgical dance concert
To train and equip student leaders to offer meaningful and theologically rich worship experiences for college students
To plan a two-day Sacred Dance Conference too teach the principles and guidelines for using dance in worship
To provide opportunities in the research, writing and dramatic presentation of lectionary texts through Project AWE. Arts in Worship Experiece
To provide a comprehensive review of worship programming for youth so that they encounter God in worship, and to train youth and staff in a deeper understanding of worship
To create a program for teaching students and teachers the elements of worship, and modeling those elements in informal and formal worship services
To develop and publish a worship resource manual for intergenerational worship services that more fully integrate youth into the worship life of congregations
To research theological, liturgical and philosophical rationale for thoughtful integration of the dramatic arts in worship in North American congregations, and to present this at a series of national conferences on both drama and worship
To sponsor a Liturgy Summer Camp for adults and young adults to provide basic liturgical understanding to lay leaders in congregations in Michigan and Ohio
