1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
CICW has awarded Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants for over 20 years to teacher-scholars and worshiping communities in 45+ states and provinces and across 40+ denominations and traditions—including Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, non-denominational, and other Protestant communities.
While worship styles and practices vary greatly across these traditions, the grant projects typically explore at least one of CICW’s ten core convictions related to worship. Explore the hundreds of projects we’ve funded across both streams of the program.
To gather families for worship in order to promote a practice of family-based worship and intergenerational spiritual formation.
To rekindle enthusiasm for the liturgy and good liturgical preparation and celebration within the Archdiocese through formation and process with priests to explore the characteristics of good liturgy and identify challenges faced in preparing and celebrating the liturgy.
To offer a formal program of liturgical formation as well as choral and instrumental training that will enhance the skills and celebrate the diversity of leaders of congregational music in 13 Spanish speaking communities that worship weekly in their bilingual, bicultural parishes in 11 counties.
To engage students, faculty and community members across disciplines/departments in a collaborative study of the role of congregational song in worship through a year-long discernment process that will include book studies, discussion and workshops to consider how theology, poetry, and music combine to serve and support the liturgical actions in worship by analyzing congregational song choices in worship settings and developing a clear process and principles for choosing and evaluating congregational songs.
To create liturgy, music and dance that will convey the message of God’s radical hospitality in the Gospel and the Eucharist through a weekend parish retreat and a year-long study of the Psalms that engages the various cultures and ages of those who worship in this increasingly diverse parish.
To engage worshipers of all ages in a participatory process of education and development that will result in new liturgies for evening contemplative Prayer Around the Cross worship services and vibrant liturgical symbols around which the community will pray.
To empower, educate and challenge the congregation to intentionally prepare, participate and reflect on worship by offering a series of creative, hands-on workshops, book studies and reflection suppers that will lead to deeper involvement of more people both in planning worship and in understanding that worship is the mission of the entire congregation.
To create congregational liturgy and proclamation of the Gospel that reflects the diversity of the community through study and research of best practices in music, visual arts, storytelling and kinesthetic experiences that will engage worshipers of all economic and education levels.
To study the Psalms and Vertical Habits through sermons, prayers, music, the arts, study and memorization to help the congregation and neighboring churches grow as places of hospitable community and encouragement.
To engage in learning and conversations related to worship with ecumenical partners that will explore various traditions, perspectives and practices to deepen worship in the congregations and to encourage worship life that bears fruit in service to the community.
To create opportunities for renewed Anglican-Orthodox dialogue that will deepen understanding of worship grammar and rhetoric and implement and integrate elements of Orthodox piety into worship and devotional life within the bounds of Anglican heritage.
To gather the knowledge and resources of churches of many denominations who worship on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by hosting monthly ecumenical worship services and discussions that will promote corporate worship and deepen ecumenical partnerships.
