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 share the richness of the experience, history, and spirituality of the African American Catholic tradition with the local community through worship services and workshops.
To study liturgy, music, and art as an interdenominational group of local pastors and lay leaders and to plan a combined worship service.
To train clergy and music staff in musical repertoire, theology of worship, and worship planning through a collaboration with eighteen local congregations.
To develop resources with the Christian Navajo community that reflect the contextual use of the Psalms in the liturgy, drama, music and art of worship in Native American culture.
To deepen hospitality and community in worship through congregational workshops and training that will encourage intergenerational participation and leadership.
To increase congregational participation and knowledge of worship through the incorporation of the arts and the development of a worship planning team.
To train worship leaders in music, arts and drama through workshops and the experience of implementing a series of services that focus on spiritual formation through worship.
To explore how Biblical psalms can and should be used in corporate worship and private devotion in order to aid the church in singing, worshiping, and praying well.
To discuss the theological foundations of worship renewal and strategies for forming congregations around them as a peer learning group of local Baptist ministers and church leaders.
To study the history, theology and practice of worship in an ecumenical partnership with six congregations and to plan a combined worship service that demonstrates some of the discoveries from the yearlong study.
To offer weekly worship services based on the 12 steps of addiction recovery that integrates scripture, confession and absolution, testimony, healing liturgy and public prayer in two urban churches.
To share the wealth of worship materials with deep roots in Hispanic culture and traditions and to promote critical theological reflection on these materials by bringing together Hispanic worship leaders from multiple denominations for study and worship.
