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 the use of artistic elements, such as drama and liturgical dance, in worship through a process that will include congregational members of all ages in learning and creating forms of artistic expression for worship.
To explore through study and a seminar how we use our hearts (emotions), our heads (intellect), and our hands (service) in an active way as we gather to worship as the Body of Christ.
To develop a set of liturgies for the seasons of Lent and Eastertide, use them in worship, study them with a range of fellow congregants, and prepare them for dissemination to a broader audience.
To collaborate with four urban multicultural congregations to train and nurture children to lead worship through a youth choir.
To gather representatives from Northeastern Asian Indian, Native American and Asian American worshipping communities to assist each in lifting up its own “voice” in Christian worship, and to develop and disseminate the resulting worship resources through a conference.
To equip, encourage and enable Christian composers and leaders/pastors within a broader Christian context of Biblical theology and mission by offering the Forging Links Conference, and to encourage integration of new material through workshops and communication with worship and arts leaders.
To gather Latino worship leaders to share the wealth of worship materials with deep roots in Hispanic culture and traditions that have been created in recent years, to promote critical theological reflection on the value and use of these materials, and to encourage their continuing creation.
To offer an inter-disciplinary, ecumenical symposium on the history and theology of artistic expression in worship, to host a course entitled “Worship for the Church in the 21st Century;” and to sponsor a retreat for the purpose of developing a cross-cultural theology of worship.
To identify the most important spiritual needs of adolescents in residential treatment programs, to develop worship utilizing music, art, drama and design which addresses those needs, and to develop a training module for staff and volunteers who lead worship in residential treatment settings.
To create contextually appropriate worship opportunities for African American young adults through the training of young leaders and the development of a Praise Dance Ministry.
To offer monthly worship services which utilize Light into the World: Hope for a New Day, a bluegrass setting of the Lutheran liturgy with all original music by a young composer, Kent Gustavson, to train volunteer musicians and to lead workshops both locally and nationally to share what they have learned.
To challenge and support the 89 Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations of northern
