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 grow in practices of lament, contemplation, and engaging art in worship through learning trips, coaching, and sharing learnings with congregational partners.
To connect with God and others in a distracted world by practicing stillness, listening to each other’s stories, and collaboratively creating music, visual art, and literary pieces that showcase God’s work in the life of the community.
To anchor congregational worship in the Psalms through the practices of prayer, Scripture reading, and sharing testimony, so that members will be firmly rooted in long-standing healthy habits that biblically inform congregational identity.
To encourage greater lay participation in worship leadership by coaching musicians and equipping congregants to share about their faith journeys in worship.
To create an intentional worshiping community of adult disciples seasoned in liturgical leadership to gather in worship and cross-pollinate their unique worship practices, culminating in leadership at the Disciples Worship and Arts Institute that welcomes participants from across the Christian church.
To foster racial healing through the practices of worship, pilgrimage, and reflection on the impact of racism on the church.
To reduce the hearing and visual barriers that limit some members from full participation in the worship service by practicing liturgical dance and scripture enactment that include assistive listening and captioning.
To strengthen ecumenical relationships and spiritual formation opportunities in a culturally and linguistically diverse student body through the development of a regular Taizé service on campus.
To equip youth to actively participate in all aspects of the worship experience, including planning and services, by exploring the meaning of worship, different worship styles, and various expressions of worship.
To encourage connection between generations through the development of church-wide devotionals, intergenerational retreats, youth-led worship tech training, and new formats for worship services and community-based gatherings.
To study and develop trauma-informed worship practices in order to provide hospitality, healing, and home to those who have been harmed by the church.
To empower lay leaders for the ministry of proclamation and encourage a diversity of voices in the pulpit by developing a lay preacher training program.
