1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2025 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 create a new communion liturgy in collaboration with two other AME churches through workshops and community meals that will deepen understandings of sacramental theology.
To study and evaluate past worship practices and create new liturgies that practice inclusivity, collaboration, creativity, and social justice and that encourage the gifts of musicians, artists, dancers, children, writers, and persons with disabilities.
To explore with children, youth and adults what it means to be a baptizing community by focusing on the ways baptism impacts worship, vocation, and outreach.
To offer workshops in the theology and practice of worship, congregational singing, drama, movement and visual arts and implement what is learned into congregational worship.
To connect the congregation's worship life and its mission by studying how biblically embedded beliefs and practices, such as celebration of communion, adherence to the liturgical calendar, and use of a common lectionary, have formed congregations for service and witness.
To design a new baptismal font through a collaborative process of artistic and educational engagement around the significance of baptism.
To study and discuss with a group of local pastors the development of worship practices that combine emerging worship with Reformed theology, with a particular focus on the sacraments.
To develop resources for the four parts of the Episcopal Eucharist service, four activity sessions for young people and a Vacation Bible School program for ages 6 through 12 around the Vertical Habits themes, focusing on how these themes are aspects of a healthy relationship with God.
To deepen the understanding and experience of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism by developing musical and liturgical leadership, enriching the worship environment with visual art relating to the sacraments, teaching children about the sacraments, and reaching out to the community through Passion Week worship services.
To collaborate with three other congregations to prepare children for full participation in the Lord’s Supper through a Sunday school class and the development of a picture book project.
To introduce traditional hymns and spiritual songs to a new generation of believers through a year-long reflection on both the meaning and music of the passion of Christ and the practice of the Lord’s Supper.
To enhance appreciation for, knowledge of, and participation in the Lord’s Supper through commissioned art work, increased cross-cultural participation with the Hispanic community, and specific teaching on the history and theology of the Lord’s Supper.
