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.
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
To initiate avenues for teens and young adults to become involved in planning and leading worship for a growing multicultural congregation.
Bridge Street AME Church
To explore creative uses of media and the arts in order to engage youth and encourage collaboration between youth and adults in planning worship.
First Union Church
To develop intergenerational, scriptural worship through a series of seminars to help the congregation engage in the beauty, mystery, majesty and holiness of God using photography, music, and speaking.
New Hope Covenant Church (2009)
To explore ways to bring cross-cultural music, dance, and written words more regularly into worship through hands-on training that will develop contextualized urban/multicultural intergenerational worship leadership.
Edmonton Chinese Baptist Church
To connect church musicians and pastors of local Chinese Christian churches through a year long cooperative process of learning and reflection on worship and the role of music in worship.
First Congregational Church of North Attleborough
To invite painters, woodworkers, sculptors, musicians, graphic artists and photographers of all ages to use their gifts in worship leadership through ongoing study, practice, workshops, and worship experiences.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
To engage in a year long renewal of God's promises in baptism and the book of Revelation through sermons, Bible studies, liturgy and education that will culminate with the Easter Vigil.
New City Church
To research, experience, and reflect on using hip-hop in worship while nurturing urban teenagers as worship leaders.
Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA
To engage leaders of 75 congregations in a deeper understanding and practice of testimony in worship through a workshop, book studies and quarterly discussions.
The Gathering United Methodist Church
To incorporate visual arts in the worship space and liturgy of a small, urban church plant.
Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis Lithuanian Catholic Mission
To break prejudices across generations and cultures in a Lithuanian immigrant community through an intentional focus on scripture, the creation of art, and religious instruction.
CLC Network (Christian Learning Center)
To explore ways to make worship accessible for children and adults with disabilities and to recognize and encourage the participation and leadership of those with special needs and gifts through a partnership with eight to ten congregations.