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.
University of Dayton's Institute for Pastoral Initiatives
To provide training for clergy and lay parish leaders to enhance the planning of liturgy, especially in rural and missionary community parishes.
University of Dubuque
To bring together different demographics of language, ethnicity, and tradition on campus in worship and to share in fellowship and discipleship activities.
Woody Nook Christian Reformed Church
To invite people into the biblical story in worship and encourage them to expand their imagination of God through the art they encounter in the worship space.
American Lutheran Church (2015)
To address questions of faith and tradition related to worship, to encourage a spirit of collaborative learning and inquiry, and to stimulate growth in understanding through questions that arise of out of experiences of all kinds of churchgoers.
Arnett Chapel AME
To explore ways to leverage the congregation's worship and missional priorities and promote a greater commitment to discipleship and service through studies and events related to worship and justice.
Beacon
To creatively tell the stories of all ages and develop a rhythm of worship in a new church community through conversations, Bible studies, shared meals and a congregational retreat.
Carey Theological College/Carey Institute (2015)
To help persons of different ages and abilities grow in faith through worship and to encourage collaboration between pastors and worship leaders through a series of learning events.
Center for Liturgy and Music at Virginia Theological Seminary
To train leaders in teaching techniques and motivational activities for the enlivening of singing in congregations that will help transform worshipers into effective disciples.
Christ Lutheran Church of Falmouth
To gather a community around silence, contemplative prayer and meditation on Scripture and ancient Christian texts, in order to facilitate encounters with God's living presence in worship.
Coastland Commons
To empower members of three local congregations to engage in spiritual formation through practicing and sharing artistic works of song, prayer, and Scripture.
Ebenezer United Methodist Church (2015)
To promote the full, conscious, active participation of all worshipers as a fully intergenerational community in a collaboration of pastors and laypersons from several congregations.
Emmanuel Reformed Church (2015)
To renew a Spanish worshiping community through communal practices of worship connected to art, dance, hospitality, and service.