1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 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 explore a deeper understanding of the sacrament of Holy Communion and Washing of the Feet in a year-long ecumenical learning program with another congregation.
To develop a year-long emphasis on all ages living in the presence of God in worship by encouraging deeper participation in scripture, sacraments, prayer, and the arts.
To implement a year-long series of congregation-wide learning events about worship and to anchor the congregation's identity and ministries in its worship life.
To encourage the development of arts ministries and the incorporation of a variety of arts in worship as a regular liturgical practice of the community.
To facilitate a multicultural ministry of reconciliation in worship and life together by engaging Native American history through storytelling and theological reflection that promotes understanding, healing, justice and reconciliation.
To promote deeper understanding and skill for musical worship leaders through learning opportunities related to global traditions and congregational song, following the pattern of the Christian year.
To address the shame and trauma of refugee Christians by collaborating with leaders from various refugee congregations to create indigenous expressions of worship that praise God for deliverance from shame.
To explore the history, theology and practice of multisensory worship, and to promote creative responses to the preaching of the gospel through interactive worship stations.
To create a template for developing multisensory celebrations of the Eucharist during each season of the liturgical year and collaborate with worship leaders to coordinate music and visual art with lectionary texts.
To create worship experiences that draw multiethnic congregations closer together and develop deeper spiritual connections to the city surroundings and global community through global music, arts and media.
To strengthen and encourage intergenerational worship through the church year and creative excellence in all aspects of worship including music, visual arts, sacred space design, spoken and written proclamation, prayer, and liturgy—all guided by the psalms.
To engage people from different ethnic communities in the practice of basic Christian worship principles in order to promote unity, faith formation, hospitality and missional opportunities expressed in culturally diverse forms.
