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.

Online Resources
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Boston University School of Theology (2024)

Shively Smith

To showcase and provide access to the scriptural interpretations of nineteenth-century African American women by curating a web-based lectionary resource.

Teacher-Scholar
Boston, massachusetts
2024

Calvin University

Debra Rienstra

To provide inspirational and practical examples of how churches and individual Christians can address the climate crisis in podcast interviews of Christian communities who have adapted their mission and practices toward a more just and sustainable world.

Teacher-Scholar
Grand Rapids, michigan
2024

Hope College

David Keep

To deepen worshipers' theology and spiritual life by creating an online Advent calendar that features visual art and music, and by holding art interpretation events and panel discussions in which participants engage theological truths—particularly the incarnation—through the arts.

Teacher-Scholar
Holland, michigan
2022

Hope College

Kate Finley

To explore how public church practices, including sermons, corporate prayer, and other worship practices reflect various understandings and interpretations of mental disorders and to construct a practically applicable online resource that will enable congregations to be more inclusive of those who experience mental disorder and enriched by the unique perspectives they embody.

Teacher-Scholar
Holland, michigan
2022

Conrad Grebel University College

Carol Penner

To research Anabaptist worship materials and curate a centralized online site to make historical and contemporary Mennonite resources available for all to use.

Teacher-Scholar
Waterloo, ontario
2019