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 initiate a collaboration of at least 14 pastors in the South Florida region to discuss and identiy issues impacting worship in African-American churches in the 21st century and to develop new worship practices within the congregations by offering workshops on worship and the POWR (planning, ordering, worshipping and reflecting) worship planning model.
To immerse the congregation and local partnering churches in a process of intergenerational, collaborative thinking and reflective negotiation that will engage the full participation of all worshipers in learning what it means to be an African-centered worshiping community connecting ancestral memory to prophetic vision.
To engage children of all ages in creating drama, storytelling, dance, music and visual arts centered on the Psalms that can deepen understanding of Scripture and be used in worship.
To develop celebrations of the milestones of the Christian faith that can be used in worship by engaging the congregation in an intergenerational yearlong study that will identify important events of faith formation, consider how we are formed by the Spirit during these events and how the congregation can celebrate these milestones.
To immerse the congregation in baptismal practices, “affirmation of baptism” practices and public and private psalm-saturated liturgical practices that help believers identify themselves as part of the baptized community as seen and practiced by generations of those saturated in the psalms by offering sermons, monthly baptismal services based on psalms and informed by rituals from the global and historic Christian church, and curriculum for family devotions, small group life and children’s ministry.
To equip those who lead worship in correctional facilities with youth and adults by bringing together chaplains for a two-day conference to learn together, train volunteers and share their experiences and learning through a blog and conference calls to gather examples of how worship impacts individuals in correctional facilities.
To engage the congregation in learning about the intersection of faith and community in partnership with their pastor who will be studying these communities and their worship as part of a Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Grant and together implement this new learning in worship when the pastor returns from her sabbatical.
To provide opportunities for the congregation to publically lament the destruction of their building following a lightning strike and to remember God’s blessings while they are worshiping in a public school building by creating visual art for worship from salvaged objects that will have a home in their new building and that can be shared with other churches in similar situations to help them sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land.
To immerse the congregation and community in intergenerational study, dialogue and reflection on the communal nature of the Lord’s Supper through worship services, art, music and workshops that will unite believers throughout time and in many places.
To partner with local congregations in developing weekly evening worship at The Light at Bare Bulb Coffee, an innovative new church development, that utilizes liturgical, musical and artistic resources from a variety of Christian traditions and to offer three day-long workshops for local church leaders to learn about the resources being used.
To offer five workshops designed to explore how multimedia can strengthen the theme of the service, encourage contemplation in worship, connect Sunday worship with daily life and deepen participation of the congregation in worship.
To initiate a study of worship and new expressions of worship that include Scripture, preaching, and response to Scripture and sacraments that will develop vibrant, multi-generational worship that connects with the needs of the community and trains new leaders for worship.
