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.
Fuller Theological Seminary
Jennifer Ackerman
Jennifer Ackerman
To study the impact arts-based training encouraging curiosity, creativity, and courage has on pastoral leadership to increase pastors' capacity to lead vibrant, justice-oriented communities of worship.
Fuller Theological Seminary
Matthew Kaemingk
Matthew Kaemingk
To create a handbook that will provide leaders with a host of songs, prayers, blessings, sample worship services, sermon topics, and guides for small-group discussion to equip pastors and worship leaders with practical ideas, advice, and resources to lead effective worship for workers.
Fuller Theological Seminary: Division of Formation
To equip leaders to create a pilgrimage experience in their own context by together engaging the embodied experience of pilgrimage and developing worship resources for their communities out of that experience.
General Education Department of the United Holy Church of America, Inc.
To enrich the theological understanding of worship in the United Holy Church of America and encourage African American worship leaders by hosting monthly virtual workshops and an in-person conference.
Gooding United Methodist Church
To gather, share, and celebrate personal testimonies and connect them to the gospel story to illustrate in gathered worship the ways participants worship in all of life.
Grace and St John's Episcopal Church
To strengthen public worship and witness by building capacity in the music ministry, instituting a public worship event, and creating an outdoor mural.
Greater Baltimore Church of Christ (2024)
To enhance spiritual connection among all age groups by creating generationally diverse worship teams, educating worship leaders about inclusive worship, and using intergenerational teams to plan worship and develop new liturgical resources.
Greater Good News Church Of God In Christ
To engage children in worship and promote intergenerational worship by giving children opportunities to lead elements of worship and by equipping pastors to preach about children in the Bible.
Grunewald Guild
To develop a cohort of artists that will affect the worshiping communities the artists belong to by exploring the sacred through creating visual art for worship together in online gatherings and an in-person retreat.
Holland Home (2024)
To enhance the theological and cultural diversity of worship in an increasingly diverse retirement community through educational events and guest worship leaders.
Holy Cross Lutheran Church (2024)
To invite worshipers into the depth and richness of God’s promises by weaving liturgy with the arts through collaborations with local artists for Advent, Lenten, Holy Week, and Pentecost services and through the development and dissemination of artistically inspired service plans.
Howard University School of Divinity
Harold Dean Trulear
Harold Dean Trulear
To explore and disseminate best practices for shaping and sustaining a Christian social justice witness through corporate worship.