Guidelines

Who is eligible?

Any team of people with leadership roles directly related to the worship life of a Christian church or non-profit tax-exempt organization in USA and Canada is encouraged to apply. This includes pastors, educators, church staff persons, church musicians, artists, architects, actors, dancers and scholars. The team should include the senior pastor of a congregation or the key administrator of an organization. We have learned that including such a leader increases the likelihood that the project will succeed in meeting its goals. 

What projects do we support?

Grants will be evaluated by the Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants Advisory Board. 

Projects should:

• have the potential to generate renewed interest, thoughtfulness, and energy for public worship at the local, grass-roots level.
• be linked with the worship life of a particular Christian community or congregation(s).
• include a component of theological reflection on the meaning and purpose of public worship.
• be both realistic and visionary.

Though these are not requirements, we will give preference to projects that

• are collaborative, involving the coming together of people for study, planning, and creating.
• bring new learning into a community through a series of speakers and a study of books and other resources.
• come from communities with limited financial resources.
• have the potential to model vital worship for other worshiping communities.
• have a plan for the sharing of the results of their program.
• nourish intergenerational or multi-cultural community, rather than segmenting groups of worshipers.

What is not eligible? 

• grants to individuals
• compensation to your staff or volunteers for planning, teaching or administration that exceeds 20% of the total grant
• equipment costs that exceed 10% of the total grant
• production and replication of CDs, DVDs, books and videos for sale
• building renovations and other construction costs
• food costs that are not connected to a learning or reflection process related to worship
• attending or hosting a conference, concert, summer camp or other one-time event that is not part of a year-long learning process

What is the grant amount?

• Grants will range from $8,000 to $25,000. 
• We note that some grant projects are very successful at $15,000, and for others up to $20,000-$25,000 may be more appropriate. We also delight in funding smaller church grants in which $8000-$9000 may be best for the context of the church.