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.
Azusa Pacific University
To foster a dynamic, participatory, and creative worship community where young adults can engage with God through visual arts, music, and worship leadership training.
Good Shepherd Nashville
To promote deeper participation in worship and embodiment of justice and mission by offering an intergenerational liturgical formation program.
Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren
To cultivate diverse lay leadership and discipleship through intercultural and intergenerational cohorts focused on theological reflection, responsive action, and contemplative spiritual practices.
Pueblo Young Life
To launch an intergenerational worship formation project pairing older mentors and students to learn and model prayer, worship, and scripture reading to foster deeper and lasting spiritual disciplines and a sustainable culture of vibrant faith expression.
Abilene Christian University
Myles Werntz
Myles Werntz
To help worshiping communities learn about the moral life by connecting categories of moral reasoning to the ongoing practice of worship and discipleship as described in Psalm 23.
Abilene Christian University
Amanda Jo Pittman
Amanda Jo Pittman
To foster Christian formation through a study of how embodied and communal practices are described in the books of Luke and Acts.
ARISE Ministries
To promote healthy spiritual formation for Korean American youth and young adults in New England through resource development, worship retreats, and spiritual formation discipleship cohorts.
Belmont University
To help students develop spiritual formation practices and build Christian community by mentoring student leaders and creating a weekly worship opportunity focused on prayer and lectio divina scripture study.
Bethel Cathedral A.M.E. Church
To increase participation of laity across generations in planning and leading worship by strengthening the choir as a vehicle for leadership and formation.
Calvary on 8th Street Reformed Church
To encourage meditation and spiritual disciplines that will help congregants center themselves on God and deepen practices of embodied engagement.
Calvin University
Daniel Jesse
Daniel Jesse
To investigate how the lyrics and melodies of contemporary Christian music influence the way worshipers perceive and articulate their feelings in relation to their faith, with a particular focus on the way sadness is expressed in worship.
Calvin University
Tyler Greenway
Tyler Greenway
To compare the intended and actual outcomes of sermons and homilies by studying how listeners respond to preaching in their behavior, emotions, and beliefs.