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 establish new Summer Worship, Arts, and Music Camps which will give children the opportunity to gain an understanding of the structure of worship, skills in leading various aspects of worship, experience with various worship-related arts, and occasions for preparing brief worship services.
To integrate children into planning, leading, and participating in worship through a summer education program, a workshop, a major conference, an internship program, and resource production.
To equip children and youth for Christian worship within the liturgical framework of the Eucharist, and to foster intergenerational church community by fully engaging young people in a corporate worship experience through a newly commissioned Eucharistic liturgy for young voices and Orff instruments.
To teach children the significance of the elements of worship and the children’s roles as participants and leaders by offering training and worship leading experiences in congregations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
To develop a team of educators and pastors from various congregations and denominations to deepen their understanding of Christian worship, and to develop a plan that will help children comprehend and encounter the essence of Christian worship and the significance of what the parts of worship contribute to their spiritual experience.
To create an urban school of worship for teenagers, which will develop individual worship leaders and musicians and forge them into teams to lead worship for teen peers on Friday nights, for smaller children on Saturday and for supporting churches on Sunday.
To become a catalyst for worship renewal in the community by training youth and mentoring them individually, so that they understand the basics of worship and can participate in planning worship services.
To train members of the school faculty and staff to prepare children for increased participation in worship through training in music, liturgical rites, the dramatic portrayal of scripture, dance, puppets and art.
To assist at least two congregations as they initiate ministries to young adults on university campuses. The project will provide theological reflection, consultation and training for worship team leaders in music, visual arts, media and Biblical storytelling, and assist these congregations in a process of recovery, development and testing of the adult catechumenate.
To engage the entire congregation, through a retread and study, in a discussion of Reformed worship with the intent of constructing new forms of worship which will be meaningful and attractive to the entire congregation, especially to young families.
To teach congregations the fundamentals of designing the worship life of a community that include people of all ages, particularly children and youth, in ways that are engaging, participatory and meaningful.
To renew interest in the use of the pipe organ in worship by conducting workshops for children and youth to introduce them to the organ, workshops for organists, offering a hymn festival and initiating a scholarship program for youth who wish to take organ lessons.
