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.

Scripture
Select Year
Select State/Province
Teacher-Scholar Preaching Public Witness

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Carolyn B. Helsel

To encourage appreciation among Christian worshipers for our Jewish neighbors and reduce anti-Semitism by creating videos and written resources aimed at equipping preachers to approach biblical references to Jewish people through a framework of gratitude for our shared religious heritage.

Teacher-Scholar
Austin, texas
2023
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Teacher-Scholar Hermeneutics Public Witness

Boston University School of Theology

Shively Smith

To identify the metaphors and images that shape the interpretation of Scripture within worshiping communities, and to assess the impact of these interpretive images on a community’s relationship to various “others” and socio-political realities.

Teacher-Scholar
Boston, massachusetts
2020
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Teacher-Scholar Congregational Life Scripture

Western Theological Seminary

Travis West

To encourage deeper engagement with scripture in worship and congregational life by developing a curriculum for teaching Hebrew language and culture in the local church.

Teacher-Scholar
Holland, michigan
2019
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