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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.

    Symposium on Worship

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

    Upcoming Event

    2025 Black Religious Autobiography Seminar
    The office of Black Church Studies at Duke Divinity School is sponsoring a week-long seminar exploring the autobiographical writings of Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Howard Thurman, Ida B. Wells, and other Black autobiographers and memoirists who used their life stories as weapons in the quest for freedom and humanization. 
    July 19 - 26, 2025
    Durham
    , 
    North Carolina
    View Event
  • About

    About

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

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    Mission

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

    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

    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.

    Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary offer many options for learners and students of all ages and contexts.

    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

    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.

    Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary offer many options for learners and students of all ages and contexts.

    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
    • Symposium on Worship

  • About
    • Mission
    • What We Do
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Partners
    • Staff Directory
    • Learn at Calvin
      • 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 and Calvin Theological Seminary

    © 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship


Search Results

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Article Leadership Pastoral Care Preaching

Hearing God's Voice through Change: The preacher's role

As Jesus told the disciples at the Last Supper, in this world we will have trouble. Here's how preaching can encourage believers to take heart. A feature story exploring how congregations can hear God's voice despite change and trials.
Article Cultural Diversity

Kenneth L. Wallace Jr. on Multiethnic Worship

Multiethnic worship includes but is much more than singing songs from diverse cultures. An ethnodoxologist who identifies as African American Choctaw Pawnee says you need to know your own culture’s stories and gifts to share with and receive from Christians in other cultures.
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Article Interdisciplinary Justice/Reconciliation Pastoral Care

Seven Self-Care Tips for Clergy Who Engage Trauma

Clergy and other church leaders called to engage trauma must also practice self-care, or they will burn out and be less effective in helping those who need to address and heal from trauma. These tips help congregants as well, relieving pressure on clergy and church leaders.
Article History Justice/Reconciliation Planning Worship

Helen Rhee on Illness, Pain, and Health Care in Early Christianity

Accounts from ancient historians and early church fathers show that caring for and visiting the sick was an essential marker of what it means to be a Christian. Their example of addressing illness, pain, and health care for everyone, not just Christians, holds lessons for today’s worship planners.
Article Cultural Diversity Pastoral Care Preaching

Anthony L. Bennett on Engaging Trauma in Sermons

Many urban pastors deal with trauma. Some preach without benefit of pay or formal training. This Baptist church gathered its associate ministers monthly to learn about trauma and exegete Scripture to engage people hungry for healing and justice.
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Article Theology Pastoral Care Prayer

Tom Swieringa on Cooperating in Intercessory Prayer

Tom Swieringa co-leads Wyoming Kingdom Enterprise Zone, a church multiplication initiative by Reformed and Christian Reformed churches in Wyoming, Michigan. He has pastored and planted churches in Iowa, Michigan, South Dakota, and Texas. In this edited conversation, he talks about cooperating with God in intercessory prayer, during worship and beyond.
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Article Cultural Diversity Faith Formation Pastoral Care

Being the Bridge Between Community and Church in Nepal

Higher Ground Nepal is a social enterprise that includes people from all walks of life in Nepal. Proselytizing is not allowed in Nepal, but when people see others living as the genuine presence of Christ in people’s situations, it makes a difference.
Article Pastoral Care Theology Planning Worship

Worship Resources for Pregnancy Loss and Infertility

Many church members stay silent about miscarriages and other common reproductive losses. Yet Christian traditions contain many helpful books and worship resources to aid those who have experienced reproductive loss. Your church can start with these resources to engage this issue more directly and care for those who mourn.
Article

Symposium 2020 Presenters

A list of presenters from the 2020 Symposium on Worship.
Audio Pastoral Care Cultural Diversity Justice/Reconciliation

When Helping Heals: An Economist and Political Scientist Affirm Global Service

Is it possible to work in international development without hurting those we are helping?
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Events

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Grants

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  • 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 and Calvin Theological Seminary

© 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

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