1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 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 develop a training program that will prepare people to teach the Leadership Program for Musicians, a series of classes on music in worship, to ecumenical groups throughout the United States.
To collaborate with congregations of all denominations through a series of workshops focusing on music in worship, biblical storytelling, liturgical art, and contemplative methods that allow all congregations to share their talents and best worship practices.
To design a process of catechism for those seeking baptism or confirmation in six diverse United Methodist congregations such that both the catechumenate and the congregations are renewed through the Easter Vigil celebration.
To explore biblical themes of justice and peacemaking through education, fellowship, and theological reflection and to express these themes in corporate worship such that they lead to community service.
To explore worship renewal through a collaboration of seminary students, pastors, lay persons, and other ministry professionals from various racial, ethnic, and cultural communities during a pastoral leadership conference.
To examine historic traditions of African American worship and incorporate them into worship services, through a process that includes 40 ministry leaders who will participate in a 13-week Bible study, retreat, seminars, and a citywide worship service.
To advance the development of lay worship leadership in a multicultural setting by training lay leaders, creating a model for worship leadership training that can be applied in other multicultural settings and offering congregational workshops on worship.
To develop skills of listening, training and creating in order to design meaningful worship for the “Millennial generation.”
To cultivate an environment that will empower students to explore and discover authentic forms of liturgical expression and sacred worship through visits to other worshiping communities, workshops, retreats, and mentors who train students in various aspects of leading worship.
To offer worship workshops for member of the congregation, train worship leaders, and identify and create new expressions of worship in multicultural, urban ministry through partnership with neighboring congregations.
To achieve a clearer and deeper understanding of the aim, purpose, and components of worship services by developing worship leadership within the congregation and introducing the congregation to new music, forms of prayers, and liturgy.
To train Asian and Anglo Americans of all ages to better plan, lead, and participate in a newly established multicultural, multigenerational worship service through discussion groups, liturgical art, retreats, and a conference.
