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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.

    Upcoming Event

    VWVP Webinar
    Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Informational Webinar | September 2025
    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 30, 2025, 7:00 PM
    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
    • Dwelling in the Psalms

  • 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

Article Planning Worship Cultural Diversity En Español

Tony Perez on the Silence of God

Although Tony Perez was born in a Christian home in his Guatemalan homeland, it wasn’t until he was 22 that he had a personal encounter with the Lord, in a small church in the city of Huntington Park, California.
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Article Psalms/Scripture Devotion/Homily

The Service of Renewal in Grace (Bible Study)

Vital worship, like a healthy marriage, requires honesty and openness in order to thrive. God longs for our honesty before him. We are deeply in need of his renewing pardon.
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Article Planning Worship

The Etiquette of Weddings and Worship

If we carry this wedding analogy over into our worship planning, we can employ the same criteria in order to determine if our worship will bring God honour and pleasure.
Art by Solomon Raj
Article Planning Worship

Blessed Are You When People Insult You

A worship service led by Darrell Delaney, and Nate Glasper Jr. on Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” We give special thanks to André Thomas for his contributions as a consulting director and his encouragement of our student musicians.
Article Preaching Teaching Cultural Diversity

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? Thoughts on Preaching and the Teaching of Preaching

Looking at today’s North American cultural climate, Alyce McKenzie reflects on what it’s time to let go of in preaching and in the teaching of preaching—and what it’s time to grab hold of.
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Article Prayer Planning Worship

Three Prayer Veterans tell why they’ve stuck with fixed-hour prayer

Meet three people who feel called to fixed-hour prayer, admit it has its ups and downs, and can’t imagine not doing it. As important as common prayer is in their lives, all also advise practicing other forms of prayer as well.
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Article Intergenerational Music/Song Cultural Diversity

Drumming in Worship: Experiencing God's heartbeat

What is it about percussion that appeals to worshipers in so many cultures? How does drumming together help Christians build community?
Article

Symposium Ends in Hope

The 2019 Calvin Symposium on Worship began on Thursday, Jan. 24 with opening worship that included prayers decrying war, cheap labor, and toxins in watersheds.
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Article Faith Formation Leadership

What's the Point of Life? - Romans 1, Philippians 1

A service plan focused on finding God's purpose for our lives in a series addressing life's toughest questions for Christians.
Article Planning Worship History Music/Song

Eddie Espinosa on Changes in Contemporary Worship Music

Eddie Espinosa, composer of “Change My Heart, O God,” explains why those who lead worship need to cultivate heart holiness.
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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 and Calvin Theological Seminary

© 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

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