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.

Education/Leadership
Select Year
Select State/Province

Tabernacle Community Church

To explore Old Testament worship in light of New Testament themes and to probe its implications for a variety of worship practices including cross cultural relationships and the arts.

Worshiping Communities
Grand Rapids, michigan
2008

The Table: an Emerging Mennonite Church

To explore how an emerging Mennonite Congregation can more deeply incorporate the Lord's Supper in worship and life through retreats, workshops, and mentoring relationships.

Worshiping Communities
Harrisonburg, virginia
2008

Urban Hymnal

To partner with three Seattle congregations in exploring how new, creative, relevant music, text, and art can help people pray more honestly, engage more deeply with one another and address the needs of the community.

Worshiping Communities
Seattle, washington
2008

Asbury Theological Seminary

To produce a multi-dimensional worship curriculum of small group sessions, individual study guides, and training for small group facilitators through a collaboration with the Lexington District of the United Methodist Church.

Worshiping Communities
Wilmore, kentucky
2007

Baptist General Convention of Virginia

To plan intergenerational worship services as small, rural congregations that combine historical and contemporary worship traditions through music, biblical storytelling, liturgical art, and contemplative methods.

Worshiping Communities
Richmond, virginia
2007

Cherry Hill Missionary Baptist Church

To study a biblical perspective on worship through a series of workshops for worship leaders and local congregations with small group follow-up and implementation in individual congregations.

Worshiping Communities
Conway, south carolina
2007

Christian Reformed Home Missions

To develop worship resources and support for prisoners in both understanding and participating in worship by forming relationships between six West Michigan congregations (CRC and RCA) and worshiping communities in prisons.

Worshiping Communities
Grand Rapids, michigan
2007

Cornerstone Prison Church

To encourage deeper participation in the worship of prison congregations by teaching prisoners how to develop drama, lament, prayer, poetry, and music.

Worshiping Communities
Worthing, south dakota
2007

Crescent Hill United Methodist Church

To strengthen prayer, worship, and evangelism through a weekly worship service of healing, monthly times of fellowship, study and discussion, and a workshop for church leaders.

Worshiping Communities
Louisville, kentucky
2007

El Buen Vecino Presbyterian Church

To contextualize a Reformed theology of worship in the Hispanic/Latino community through biblical study and practice in music, arts, dance and drama.

Worshiping Communities
Kissimmee, florida
2007

First Christian Reformed Church

To create a sense of narrative, memory, and time by focusing on the practices of lectio divina, prayer, study, and service through a series of workshops and collaborative projects on using word and image in worship.

Worshiping Communities
Hamilton, ontario
2007