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 gather representatives from Northeastern Asian Indian, Native American and Asian American worshipping communities to assist each in lifting up its own “voice” in Christian worship, and to develop and disseminate the resulting worship resources through a conference.
To equip, encourage and enable Christian composers and leaders/pastors within a broader Christian context of Biblical theology and mission by offering the Forging Links Conference, and to encourage integration of new material through workshops and communication with worship and arts leaders.
To gather Latino worship leaders to share the wealth of worship materials with deep roots in Hispanic culture and traditions that have been created in recent years, to promote critical theological reflection on the value and use of these materials, and to encourage their continuing creation.
To offer an inter-disciplinary, ecumenical symposium on the history and theology of artistic expression in worship, to host a course entitled “Worship for the Church in the 21st Century;” and to sponsor a retreat for the purpose of developing a cross-cultural theology of worship.
To identify the most important spiritual needs of adolescents in residential treatment programs, to develop worship utilizing music, art, drama and design which addresses those needs, and to develop a training module for staff and volunteers who lead worship in residential treatment settings.
To create contextually appropriate worship opportunities for African American young adults through the training of young leaders and the development of a Praise Dance Ministry.
To offer monthly worship services which utilize Light into the World: Hope for a New Day, a bluegrass setting of the Lutheran liturgy with all original music by a young composer, Kent Gustavson, to train volunteer musicians and to lead workshops both locally and nationally to share what they have learned.
To challenge and support the 89 Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations of northern
To seek new models of worship which provide a theological framework of multicultural worship in an urban context by offering Multicultural Worship Festivals and a worship conference.
To collaborate with three small, rural churches to create a series of twelve banners, each representing and interpreting an element of worship. Work group members will research and study the theological meaning of each element of worship, collaborate to create a visual representation of that meaning, construct the banner and write narratives interpreting their symbolism so that the banners can be incorporated into worship.
To develop multi-sensory experiences to help worshipers more deeply understand and experience the sacrament of Communion.
To train students in leading congregational singing, presenting liturgy and Scripture and performing drama during services.
