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  • Resources
  • Grants

    Apply for Grants

    Apply for the Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants Program to support and enhance Christian worship practices. We encourage proposals on universal design, cultural engagement, preaching, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and more. Two grant streams are available.

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    All Grants Awarded

    Explore all grants awarded since the program launched in 2000, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.

    Info for Current Recipients

    Explore detailed guidelines and support resources to help you manage your grant effectively.

    Teacher-Scholar Grants

    Apply for the Teacher Scholar Grant to support innovative research and teaching in Christian worship. Proposals from educators and scholars are welcome.

    Worshiping Communities Grants

    Apply for the Worshiping Communities Grant to support and enhance worship practices within your community. Proposals for diverse and innovative worship initiatives are welcome.

    Teacher-Scholar Grants

    Apply for the Teacher Scholar Grant to support innovative research and teaching in Christian worship. Proposals from educators and scholars are welcome.

    Worshiping Communities Grants

    Apply for the Worshiping Communities Grant to support and enhance worship practices within your community. Proposals for diverse and innovative worship initiatives are welcome.

  • Events

    Events

    Join us for our Symposium on Worship and Summer Seminars. Engage in inspiring sessions, workshops, and intensive seminars to deepen your understanding and practice of Christian worship.

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    Calendar of Events

    Consider joining an upcoming event we sponsor or support. An archive is also available for reference.

    Dwelling in the Psalms

    You are invited to join the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in a year of dwelling in the Psalms—the prayerbook and songbook of the Bible.

    Symposium on Worship

    Engage in inspiring worship and workshops to enhance your worship practice. Join thought leaders and practitioners for enriching discussions.

    Upcoming Event

    Leaf with water droplets
    Informational Webinar on Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants
    Are you interested in applying for a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching grant? Join us for this free webinar catered toward new or prospective applicants to learn more about the program and participate in a live Q&A. 
    September 14, 2026, 7:00 PM
    View Event
  • About

    About

    The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin University advances Christian worship through resources, events, and grants. Since 1997, we have partnered with congregations and organizations to fulfill our mission.

    Learn More

    Mission

    We promote the study and renewal of Christian worship through partnerships at Calvin University.

    What We Do

    We partner with congregations and organizations, focusing on resources, events, and grants.

    Diversity and Inclusion

    We promote worship practices that celebrate diversity and foster inclusion in all communities.

    Partners

    Discover our generous funding partners who make our programs possible through their support and grants.

    Staff Directory

    Find contact information and profiles for CICW staff across all programs.

    Learn at Calvin

    Calvin University offers many options for learners and students of all ages and contexts.

    Learn about MLC

    Learn about MLC

    A program for first- and second-year Calvin University students exploring how their interests intersect with the church.

    MLC Leadership Staff

    Meet the Ministry Leadership Cohort staff.

    MLC Peer Leaders

    Meet the Ministry Leadership Cohort peer leaders.

    A program for first- and second-year Calvin University students exploring how their interests intersect with the church.

    Contact Us

    Get in touch with us for inquiries, support, or more information about our programs and services.

    Staff Directory

    Find contact information and profiles for CICW staff across all programs.

    Learn at Calvin

    Calvin University offers many options for learners and students of all ages and contexts.

    Learn about MLC

    Learn about MLC

    A program for first- and second-year Calvin University students exploring how their interests intersect with the church.

    MLC Leadership Staff

    Meet the Ministry Leadership Cohort staff.

    MLC Peer Leaders

    Meet the Ministry Leadership Cohort peer leaders.

    A program for first- and second-year Calvin University students exploring how their interests intersect with the church.

    Contact Us

    Get in touch with us for inquiries, support, or more information about our programs and services.


  • Resources

  • Grants
    • All Grants Awarded
    • Info for Current Recipients
    • Teacher-Scholar Grants
    • Worshiping Communities Grants

  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • Dwelling in the Psalms
    • Symposium on Worship

  • About
    • Mission
    • What We Do
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Partners
    • Staff Directory
    • Learn at Calvin
    • Learn about MLC
      • Learn about MLC
      • MLC Leadership Staff
      • MLC Peer Leaders
    • Contact Us

  • 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA

    On the campus of Calvin University

    © 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship


Search Results

Art by Jan Richardson
Article Christian Year Faith Formation Planning Worship

The Song of a Brother and a Sister - Exodus 15

A service plan remembering Moses, Miriam and the people of Israel and giving praise and thanks to God for his miraculous delivery through the Red Sea. The spirit is thankful celebration for God's actions on our behalf. Part of an Advent series focused on the tension between the message that "Christ has come" and "not all is yet accomplished."
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Article Intergenerational Faith Formation

Book Group Reflection: Passion for Worship - How Do We Get It?

Mery Elder, Fredericktown, Ohio, reflects on "The Church of All Ages"
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Article Prayer Christian Year

The Role of Prayer in Public Worship

The prayers in a worship service constitute a very sacred time in which the corporate voice of God's people is lifted heavenward. Such efforts should never be done unthinkingly, and such prayers should never be written carelessly. Indeed, in some ways, corporate prayers require more thought than personal prayers because they must address the needs and concerns of many.
Article Cultural Diversity Music/Song Planning Worship

Welcoming Contemporary Korean English Songs in Sunday Worship

Korean Christians worldwide enjoy contemporary worship songs by Korean composers, but these are seldom sung in the main Sunday liturgies of Korean Protestant churches. An emerging initiative to translate Korean heart songs to English can unite different worshiping generations and cultures. This initiative can also help Korean and English-speaking churches identify, appreciate, and question their cultural views on worship.
Article Cultural Diversity Pastoral Care Music/Song

Rosa Cándida Ramírez and Analisse Reyes on Singing Coritos

Singing coritos {short songs} in Spanish and English is hospitable in worship. It also opens up worshipers to new understandings of God.
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Article Faith Formation Justice/Reconciliation Pastoral Care

Justice and Suffering in Worship Centered on God

Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, explains why confessing that Jesus is Lord applies to the economy and earth. As the Accra Confession affirms, God calls for just relationships with all creation--so our worship should reflect that faith stance. A feature story exploring Justice and Suffering in Worship centered on God.
Article Planning Worship Cultural Diversity En Español

Our worship is connected to miracles rather than to incarnation

Jorge Navarro found Christ amid the difficult life he had chosen to follow. Drugs of all kinds were his daily bread, until one day everything changed. The force that had fueled his down-slide was the same force that fueled his desire to passionately serve the one who called him.
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Article Theology Christian Year Psalms/Scripture

The Poor Man's Ruler - Micah 5

An Advent service plan focused on Micah's prophecies of hope, how God brought the Messiah to the world through little Bethlehem, and how God is able to bring the "big" out of the "little" in a series on Micah and the hope that he pronounced.
Article Interdisciplinary Faith Formation Preaching

Worship in the Season of Creation and Earth-Themed Sundays

Green congregations around the world celebrate the Season of Creation, emphasize earth keeping throughout the Christian Year and plan other earth-themed Sundays.
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Article Faith Formation Theology Christian Year

Like a Plowed Field - Micah 3

An Advent service plan focused on the way God lovingly chastens us that our barrenness may give way to fertility and productivity in a series on Micah and the hope that he pronounced.
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Resources

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Events

  • Calendar
  • Symposium on Worship

Grants

  • Teacher-Scholar Grants
  • Worshiping Communities
  • Current and Past Grants

About

  • Our Mission
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Funding and Partners
  • Staff Directory
  • Contact Us

1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA

On the campus of Calvin University

© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

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