1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 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 educate the congregation on a holistic understanding of worship and its intersection with all church ministries and to use drama in public worship and evangelism.
Khalia J. Williams
To explore the theological significance of liturgical dance in Christian worship and to discover and analyze the multiple ways that dance shapes spirituality in worship communities and in individuals.
To promote active involvement and engagement in worship of people with dementia and people with varied abilities through use of drama in worship.
To explore the parables of Jesus in the Gullah translation of the Bible using four art forms, in order to enhance the discipleship, prayer and worship of four congregations.
To deepen worshipers' awareness of the beauty and character of God by engaging various art forms in an intergenerational and ecumenical context on campus and in partner churches.
To reflect theologically on communal worship that incorporates prayer, praise, and servant leadership, in order to facilitate deeper participation and engagement with God in worship.
To deepen young people’s engagement with Scripture, with one another, and with their community by training them to lead worship through dance, music, and mime, using the Psalms as a model.
To promote the role of visual and performing arts in the liturgy as a means of meeting God in worship, by providing opportunities for artists to lead the congregation.
To break down barriers of age, ethnicity, and worship tradition by engaging and theologically reflecting on the arts, theater, and music in worship.
To enable deeper participation in scripture through drama, dance, and music as modes of proclamation.
To use Vertical Habits to disciple young adults with developmental disabilities, and to help churches break down barriers to the full, conscious, active participation of those young adults in worship.
To equip children to embody the Christian story through drama in order to deepen their understanding of the God revealed in Scripture.
