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.

Intergenerational
Select Year
Select State/Province

New England Chapel

To create an intergenerational service to help people experience and express God living and working through all life stages by exploring new ways of leading people of all ages in worship together.

Worshiping Communities
Franklin, massachusetts
2004

New Life Christian Reformed Church

To develop an intergenerational study of confession and assurance of pardon through the lens of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which will include a Lenten/Easter devotional series with participation from all ages and worship services focusing on scriptural images for the sacraments.

Worshiping Communities
Grand Junction, colorado
2004

Pasadena Covenant Church

To express Scripture through creative and artistic means by developing multigenerational ministry teams to engage in the telling and retelling of God’s story from one generation to another.

Worshiping Communities
Pasadena, california
2004

Second Christian Reformed Church (2004)

To build a sense of unity across generations by focusing on renewal and grace during Lent and community outreach during Eastertide, through retreats and a series of worship services which incorporate teachings, music, drama, visual arts, liturgical dance, and particular times of prayer.

Worshiping Communities
Lynden, washington
2004

Sussex Christian Reformed Church

To encourage active participation of worshipers of all ages particularly during the Gathering, through practical workshops and deliberate effort for varied leadership during worship.

Worshiping Communities
Sussex, new jersey
2004

Winnetka Presbyterian Church (2004)

To increase involvement and understanding of sermons by engaging youth, leaders and pastors in a process of preparation which will include discussion of the text, life applications and the creation of visual materials.

Worshiping Communities
Winnetka, illinois
2004

Grace United Church

To bring together artists and theologians to create pieces of art that illustrate and communicate the connection between the arts and theology, and to offer times of reflection and discussion, seminars and a Festival of the Arts.

Worshiping Communities
Sarnia, ontario
2003

St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

To conduct a retreat and workshops for six churches on the purpose of worship, preparation for worship, prayer, biblically-based praise, preaching/teaching, giving, congregational participation and holiness of life.

Worshiping Communities
Grand Rapids, michigan
2003

Worship Subcommittee of the NE Ohio Synod

To establish a series of workshops utilizing musical resources and ethnically appropriate instruments to teach songs of the global church, and to make the instruments and music available on loan to congregations following the workshops.

Worshiping Communities
Cuyahoga Falls, ohio
2003

Zion Korean United Methodist Church

To create a multigenerational worship model through bilingual weekly communion and music.  To reach this goal, they will develop a monthly “worship and spiritual formation school,” train worship planners, and develop  resources for creating culturally sensitive worship environments that bring together young generations and older generations in Korean American congregations.

Worshiping Communities
Warwick, rhode island
2003

Bethlehem Lutheran Church (2002)

To conduct three leadership retreats for developing worship resources for both adults and children that will refelct the diversity of cultures in an inner city congregation.

Worshiping Communities
Muskegon Heights, michigan
2002

Black Mountain Presbyterian Church

To engage the entire congregation, through a retread and study, in a discussion of Reformed worship with the intent of constructing new forms of worship which will be meaningful and attractive to the entire congregation, especially to young families.

Worshiping Communities
Black Mountain, north carolina
2002