1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 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.
Neal A. Lester
To document how Black American spiritual worship practices support healing, justice, and community care through a community-partnered ethnographic research and teaching project.
To create liturgical and educational resources that equip Moravian clergy and lay leaders to guide worshipers in connecting their faith with social justice.
Angela Yarber
To create a worship planning resource for the Revised Common Lectionary that includes justice-centered exegesis, musical suggestions, prayers and rituals contributed by ministers from marginalized groups.
To foster racial healing through the practices of worship, pilgrimage, and reflection on the impact of racism on the church.
To nurture a richer rhythm of weekly worship, seasonal gatherings, special events, and creative collaborations, all rooted in scripture’s counter-cultural narratives, so that worshipers may more fully embody the transforming power of the gospel.
To equip congregations to engage ministries of justice in their worship by hosting training workshops in which leaders engage songs, rituals, prayers, and sermons focused on justice.
To pursue justice by enabling worship artists from the United States and Palestine to create rich liturgies and songs that reflect the lived realities of Palestinian Christians.
To deepen understandings of racial justice and reconciliation in the church by using theater, visual art, and literature to guide conversations on this topic.
To employ liturgical worship, singing, music, and other learning activities such as book and movie discussion to promote racial healing and community.
Jennifer Ackerman
To study the impact arts-based training encouraging curiosity, creativity, and courage has on pastoral leadership to increase pastors' capacity to lead vibrant, justice-oriented communities of worship.
Harold Dean Trulear
To explore and disseminate best practices for shaping and sustaining a Christian social justice witness through corporate worship.
Rolanda L. Ward
To encourage social witness within public worship through a study of congregational prayer and corporate confession.
