1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 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 include the prayer life of children, expand the use of testimonies in worship, and deepen the understanding of baptism and the Lord’s Supper to unite people of different cultures, generations and denominations while celebrating their diversity.
To educate all members of the congregation in New Testament worship through a series of workshops and small group discussions that will explore the elements of corporate worship to develop a lifestyle of worship.
To partner college students and congregational members in a study of worship and the arts that will lead to worship planning that encourages testimony and students in leadership roles.
To train youth to become active, mature leaders in worship through a year-long series of worship services that will incorporate their leadership and contributions in drama and music.
To develop an intercultural worship planning team for a large, multicultural parish to encourage collaboration in celebrating cultural diversity in worship.
To develop skills and opportunities for artistic expression of scripture that will connect to sermons through lectures and educational workshops.
To engage worship planners from five congregations with seminary staff in a year long learning process that will include theological reflection, dialogue and engagement of the arts.
To reflect on the role of visual arts in worship as pairs of pastors and artists and to present the results of this collaborative learning to the broader body of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
To create a mission-oriented worship environment that focuses on visual arts and healing within the emergent church by integrating tradition, cultural context, and individual gifts.
To develop a culturally authentic and theologically sound evaluative and creative practice of incorporating indigenous art into the worship space to enrich sacramental practices.
To reflect as a congregation on worship services and seasons to promote fuller participation in worship and to equip leadership teams to develop music, arts, study and prayer in the planning of worship.
To link artist, theologian and worshiper in faith conversation and theological reflection that acknowledges art as a language with power to strengthen spiritual formation and results in the creation of art for worship.
