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 train pastors, music leaders and church officers in Korean-American churches to design and experience intergenerational, multicultural liturgies based on sacramental theology throughout the church year.
To develop worship experiences for women coming out of abusive backgrounds that will help them restore trustworthy relationships with God, family, and the church.
To offer theological and liturgical training for artists in the worshiping community who will bring their creative voice to collaborative, intergenerational worship planning.
To empower youth of eleven parishes to lead worship using music that is both authentically Catholic and authentically Black.
To immerse the congregation in the Psalms through regular reading and memorization of the Psalms, a retreat, preaching, and pastoral care education that will teach people to pray all the emotions expressed in the Psalms.
To provide training through a collaboration of five congregations that will give a biblical perspective on the connections between global worship and the local church to develop a vision for multi-cultural worship.
To explore and reclaim liturgical dance in worship while helping two congregations experience and study the Vertical Habits.
To explore ways of bringing together Asian American, Anglo, and African American urban youth for contextualized expressions of worship that are Christ-centered, joyful, sustainable and life-giving in collaboration with local churches.
To study Reformed Theology within the context of the African-American worship experience through workshops, a retreat and written reflections with the congregation and pastors of area churches.
To partner with other small congregations to explore the ways congregational song can help worshipers grow by connecting music in church and at home.
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.
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.
