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.
To promote deeper spiritual formation, unity, and engagement within the worshiping community by providing training for emerging worship leaders, musicians, and preachers.
To foster healing-centered worship among Punjabi immigrants by incorporating music, meditation, and psalms into trauma-informed liturgical practices.
To cultivate cross-cultural worship exchanges by exploring music as storytelling that expresses resilience, cultural identity, and gospel joy in Antiguan congregations.
To promote a healthy, unified, and Christ-centered community that reflects God’s diverse kingdom by developing multicultural worship and discipleship practices.
To deepen liturgical formation and engagement among young adult Latinos by involving them in forming, training, and accompanying a dedicated choir to lead sacred music at Iskali retreats and beyond.
To sustain the rich legacy of Africana worship in diverse US contexts and to revitalize these prophetic communities through a leadership training program.
To engage worship arts such as music, dance, mime, and drama to form worshipers who embody the characteristics of the Beatitudes.
Aaron Howard
To encourage racial reconciliation in the church by creating a multimedia resource to equip worshiping communities to develop multiracial gospel choirs.
To produce new worship music centered on themes of justice, contemplation, and peace through a songwriting retreat embedded within a fellowship program.
To learn about Black sacred music and its ecumenical history and future by facilitating lectures and the study of hymns by a number of congregations and a campus ministry.
To foster contemplative spirituality and to cultivate emerging leaders by equipping high school-aged Choral Scholars to lead Evensong services.
Laura Benjamins
To evaluate the musical curriculum of local churches and offer practical insights for engaging congregants in musical theological formation.
