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 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.
To partner with First United Presbyterian Church of Dunkirk in exploring a deeper and broader understanding of the sacrament of communion in an ecumenical atmosphere of cooperation and fellowship that will promote a more profound understanding while maintaining the mystery, beauty and holiness of the sacrament.
To offer workshops, intergenerational conversations and worship that includes communion in collaboration with neighboring congregations and a seminary that will deepen understanding of the Lord’s Supper and build stronger covenant relationships within and between congregations.
To create worship that is formative rather than expressive by inviting the congregation and community to engage in multi-generational opportunities for learning, reflection and worshipful expression that includes liturgical dance, mime, step, drama and visual art.
To engage the congregation in learning about the role of drama, liturgical dance and media through seminars, small groups and deep exposure to Biblical story that will create worship that is healing for people who have been oppressed and without hope in a community that has experienced turmoil. Poster available after June 2013.
To explore the role of drama in worship that will help the community more fully engage in God’s Story by offering discussion book groups, mentoring, guest teachers and workshops and will lead to increased understanding of how the classroom intersects with faith.
To create congregational liturgy and proclamation of the Gospel that reflects the diversity of the community through study and research of best practices in music, visual arts, storytelling and kinesthetic experiences that will engage worshipers of all economic and education levels.
To immerse the congregation in learning that will develop a deeper understanding of worship, incorporate the arts through creativity and demonstrate theological integrity and biblical knowledge.
To offer the campus community, through example, instruction, worship and intentional conversation, the tools to express their individual faith stories that will allow them to connect with the larger narratives of faith and build relationships among students who come from many countries and diverse faith experiences.
To explore and enrich understanding of public prayer in two congregations through an extensive study of prayer with a focus on the Psalms to shape the practice of congregational prayer that extends to the personal prayer life of individuals.
