Skip to main content
CICW Logo CICW Logo
  • 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.

    Learn More

    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.

    Learn More

    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

    Artwork: "PSALM 85" by John August Swanson
    Dwelling in the Psalms: Music for Organ, Choir, and Congregation
    A Psalm Festival presented by the Chapel Choir of Princeton Seminary and director Martin Tel, with performers and choral conductors Brandon Boyd, Mina Choi, Ahreum Han-Congdon, Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, and Eric Wall.
    September 18, 2026, 7:00 PM
    Princeton
    , 
    New Jersey
    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

Article Planning Worship

You are the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World

A worship service led by Kevin Adams and Pearl Shangkuan based on Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
Generic placeholder image
Article Intergenerational

Worship That Is Friendly to Children - Part 2

Perhaps the most common way of trying to include children in worship is by providing a "children's message" during the service.
Nathan Longfield- Public Worship and the Christian Life
Podcast Pastoral Care Planning Worship

Nathan Longfield on Embodiment, Creativity and Trauma-informed Worship

In this episode, Nathan Longfield, pastor of Emmaus Church, a newer worshiping community, talks about their year-long project that explored embodiment and trauma-informed practices to more deeply engage in worship as a congregation and community.  
Ron Man
Podcast Cultural Diversity Psalms/Scripture

Ron Man on Biblical Foundations of Worship

For more than 25 years, Ron Man has been teaching on the biblical foundations of worship. He gathers up that learning in his book “Let Us Draw Near”, a testimony to the power of scripture to guide pastors and worshipers in our calling to be worshipers of God.
Generic placeholder image
Article Psalms/Scripture Drama Teaching

What Makes Songs So Powerful They Won't Disappear?

What makes some songs so powerful that they never disappear? David and Asaph wrote them. Through the work of many Christians we have them around today.
Generic placeholder image
Article Devotion/Homily Teaching

Studying Worship on Seminary Campuses: Reflections

A collection of responses from the Seminary Chapel Colloquium.
Article Planning Worship Pastoral Care Cultural Diversity

Shaping Worship During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Multicultural Community at Proskuneo Ministries, Clarkston, Georgia

In this edited conversation, Jaewoo "Jay" Kim says that Proskuneo Ministries "deeply holds to theological convictions and practices of embodied worship." Stay-at-home pandemic orders have upended their typical worship gatherings, but virtual worship doesn't fit who they are as a multicultural worshiping community.
Generic placeholder image
Article Teaching Faith Formation Teaching

The Church Team - Commissioning of Education Ministry Staff - Ephesians 4

A service plan focusing on the importance of the ministry of education, its goals, and the proper commissioning of those who serve.
Generic placeholder image
Article Faith Formation Theology Psalms/Scripture

The Holy Day - Isaiah 58, Mark 2, HCLD 38

A service plan focused on observing the Sabbath--an expression of our respect for and obedience to God, in a series on the Ten Commandments, as explained in the Heidelberg Catechism.
Generic placeholder image
Article Cultural Diversity

Multilingual Worship: How to include many languages

Learn why and how congregations are using multiple languages in the same worship services—rather than having each cultural group worship alone in its own language.
  • Load More
Footer Logo

Stay in the know about the study and renewal of worship.

Sign up for our newsletter

Footer

Resources

  • Resource Library
  • Audio & Video
  • Publications

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

Footer Logo