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 deepen musical leadership through the formation of a committee of choir directors and musicians from local churches that focuses on congregational singing.
To study the theology of worship and incorporate the wisdom and practices of the Northern European, Latino, African American, Haitian, Korean, and Liberian cultures from the community into worship planning to empower the leadership and unite the congregation.
To design a new baptismal font through a collaborative process of artistic and educational engagement around the significance of baptism.
To plan and implement a weekly compline service with attention to music as encouraging reflection on scripture and the involvement of youth leadership.
To train clergy and music staff in musical repertoire, theology of worship, and worship planning through a collaboration with eighteen local congregations.
To develop a culturally authentic and theologically sound evaluative and creative practice of incorporating indigenous art into the worship space to enrich sacramental practices.
To strengthen campus worship leadership through leadership retreats, a regional conference that joins theoretical study with practice, training events, a worship-song composition workshop and the creation of worship visuals.
To develop resources with the Christian Navajo community that reflect the contextual use of the Psalms in the liturgy, drama, music and art of worship in Native American culture.
To form a worship development team that will formulate guiding statements about worship, create a worship library, host a liturgy training event for area churches focusing on creative adaptation and use of traditional liturgy, and offer a church-wide retreat on the meaning of worship.
To deepen hospitality and community in worship through congregational workshops and training that will encourage intergenerational participation and leadership.
To begin a training program for musicians and clergy of small congregations that offers classes in the theological and liturgical foundations of worship and the development of musical skills.
To reflect as a congregation on worship services and seasons to promote fuller participation in worship and to equip leadership teams to develop music, arts, study and prayer in the planning of worship.
