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 provide lunchtime and after work worship services and classes on Wall Street and in Harlem which encourage active participation of worshipers in reading scripture and leading worship and music through a multi-ethnic, multi-discipline collaborative effort.
To explore contemplation, outreach, hospitality, unity and leadership in worship through monthly seminars for the congregation and community.
To enhance capacity of students and faculty for reflective liturgical leadership and to promote worship planning and participation as an integral part of theological education at the school.
To provide student leaders the skills and experience needed to plan and lead worship services through a leadership retreat, peer mentoring program and workshops.
To reflect corporately on the meaning and purpose of worship, including worship designed for the emergent sub-culture, through a parish retreat and a diocesan-wide leadership workshop.
To learn about worship and develop practical and innovative resources for worship which use the unique and varied gifts of four diverse congregations.
To develop fresh, participatory ways to experience preaching, music, scripture and the sacraments through a series of seminars for their congregation and six nearby collaborating congregations.
To partner with a nearby congregation to equip youth and adults to plan, lead and participate in worship through a study of Reformed worship, the varied global and historical expressions of Christian worship, and how these address the unique needs of a primarily Hispanic immigrant community.
To call people to a more complete understanding of worship and to a life of prayer using traditional forms of evening and morning prayer, introducing the principles and patterns of worship and implementing new resources of worship and prayer in the congregation and surrounding congregations.
To saturate their new congregation with a rhythm of Bible memorization that supports spiritual formation and an integration of scripture into every aspect of the worship service with attention to multigenerational participation.
To develop the connection between worship and discipleship through engaging people of varying degrees of spiritual experience in fundamental worship activities and concepts.
To explore the use of new music, liturgical art and drama in worship that will engage the entire human experience of body, soul, mind, and spirit.
