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 host a series of workshops, each focusing on a unique cognitive or sensory way children worship God through visual arts, music arts, movement arts and writing arts, in order to investigate new ways of worshipping intergenerationally.
To integrate worship, outreach and mission through preaching and pastoral care by enhancing the quality of existing services in long-term care centers, promoting development of services for other long-term care centers, and building bridges between congregations and long-term care center residents through an intergenerational ecumenical project.
To explore with all generations the various ways, including reading, drama, visuals and song, that scripture is presented in the call to worship, assurance and sermon text.
To examine the use of multimedia technology and how it can be introduced into an existing congregation, and to offer a workshop to share their learning.
To develop the Gathering Around the Word so that it builds community and to examine worship planning and practices with the goal of increasing active participation of all worshipers through leadership training and congregational workshops.
To equip young people to present Biblical readings, scenes and readings which are appropriate for worship and to provide training in the purpose and meaning of worship.
To empower small to medium, rural, African-American churches who struggle with issues related to worship planning and leadership development by creating a four-day conference, the 2004 Church Music Summit, which will provide practical, hands-on instruction and promote interdenominational fellowship.
To develop a small-group worship experience modeled on and adapted from the book Young Children and Worship by Sonja Stewart and Jerome Berryman, for persons with dementia in a large, non-denominational continuing care retirement community.
To create an indigenous worship service which integrates the best of the unique culture of their community with the strength of the Lutheran tradition, and to develop a workbook that will guide a congregation in developing worship practices that are responsive to their own particular context.
To develop a collaborative, intergenerational visual arts project with adults, youth and children to create art for worship, and to share these projects with the community through a seminar.
To equip people of all ages to participate actively in worship through an instructional program that teaches basic music skills and understanding of the role of music in worship and the life of the congregation.
To prepare ten congregations from a wide range of Christian traditions to include persons with physical and mental disabilities through seminars, training and consultation with clergy and lay leaders, and to assist them in developing a congregational plan for the intentional inclusion of these persons in worship, fellowship, education, service and justice activities.
