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.

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Vancouver Urban Ministries

To train 20 worship leaders and other interested congregants through Bible studies and workshops focused especially on the Psalms and Vertical Habits, Christ-centered hospitality, Scripture reading, visual arts, creative and relevant music and collaborative planning and evaluation that will be contextualized to form participatory and communal worship services in one of the most impoverished districts in Canada.   

Worshiping Communities
Vancouver, british columbia
2013

Big Springs Community Church

To offer workshops and a retreat that will enrich the understanding of Scripture and preaching for pastors of the Weed Ministerial Association and their congregations in a remote frontier county of northern California and to build ecumenical community by worshiping together quarterly.

Worshiping Communities
Montague, california
2012

Ebenezer United Methodist Church

To initiate a collaboration of at least 14 pastors in the South Florida region to discuss and identiy issues impacting worship in African-American churches in the 21st century and to develop new worship practices within the congregations by offering workshops on worship and the POWR (planning, ordering, worshipping and reflecting) worship planning model.

Worshiping Communities
Miami, florida
2012

Triumphant Community Church

To immerse the congregation in learning that will develop a deeper understanding of worship,  incorporate the arts through creativity and demonstrate theological integrity and biblical knowledge.

Worshiping Communities
Austell, georgia
2012

Westminster College

To offer the campus community, through example, instruction, worship and intentional conversation, the tools to express their individual faith stories that will allow them to connect with the larger narratives of faith and build relationships among students who come from many countries and diverse faith experiences. 

Worshiping Communities
Fulton, missouri
2012

Abiding Savior Lutheran Church

To explore and enrich understanding of public prayer in two congregations through an extensive study of prayer with a focus on the Psalms to shape the practice of congregational prayer that extends to the personal prayer life of individuals.

Worshiping Communities
Columbia, maryland
2011

Madison Square Church

To engage the congregation and worship leaders in the theology and practice of Christian worship through teaching and training that will seek to renew worship from a spectator-performance experience to complete, active participation of each worshiper of every ethnicity and age.

Worshiping Communities
Grand Rapids, michigan
2011

Millbrook Christian Reformed Church

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.  

Worshiping Communities
Grand Rapids, michigan
2011

North American Association for the Catechumenate (NAAC)

To offer regional training institutes that will offer the catechumenal journey as a means of connecting worship and faith formation.

Worshiping Communities
Sun City West, arizona
2011

Trinity Lutheran Church

To create a learning community within the congregation that will engage with guest teachers in dialogue and collaboration to learn about worship and create new ideas for worship that will connect with the congregation.

Worshiping Communities
Lansdale, pennsylvania
2011

Wake Forest University School of Divinity (2011)

To train student chapel leaders to plan and lead worship that draws more intentionally on the theological and spiritual dimensions of the diverse worship practices represented within the school and local faith communities.

Worshiping Communities
Winston-Salem, north carolina
2011

East Second Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

To engage members of the congregation in Worship Renewal Circles that will deepen their understanding of worship, encourage the creation of worship journals and share their learnings with two neighboring congregations.

Worshiping Communities
Lexington, new york
2010