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 encourage a deeper involvement in and understanding of worship among students by focusing on prayer in small group gatherings and creating concrete sensory liturgical experiences.
To engage laity and clergy from nine historic congregations in critical dialogue, theological reflection, action and celebration around the historical aspects of worship in the AMEC, in order to identify new interpretations of traditional models for worship, seek new vision for worship that is intergenerational, and bridge historical worship traditions with contemporary ones.
To develop resources for the four parts of the Episcopal Eucharist service, four activity sessions for young people and a Vacation Bible School program for ages 6 through 12 around the Vertical Habits themes, focusing on how these themes are aspects of a healthy relationship with God.
To identify the most important spiritual needs of adolescents in residential treatment programs, to develop worship utilizing music, art, drama and design which addresses those needs, and to develop a training module for staff and volunteers who lead worship in residential treatment settings.
To offer symposiums in worship planning, music, art, liturgy and drama for high school students and faculty who seek to plan and lead worship that is richly African-American and authentically Christian.
To establish new Summer Worship, Arts, and Music Camps which will give children the opportunity to gain an understanding of the structure of worship, skills in leading various aspects of worship, experience with various worship-related arts, and occasions for preparing brief worship services.
To integrate children into planning, leading, and participating in worship through a summer education program, a workshop, a major conference, an internship program, and resource production.
To equip children and youth for Christian worship within the liturgical framework of the Eucharist, and to foster intergenerational church community by fully engaging young people in a corporate worship experience through a newly commissioned Eucharistic liturgy for young voices and Orff instruments.
To teach children the significance of the elements of worship and the children’s roles as participants and leaders by offering training and worship leading experiences in congregations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
To develop a team of educators and pastors from various congregations and denominations to deepen their understanding of Christian worship, and to develop a plan that will help children comprehend and encounter the essence of Christian worship and the significance of what the parts of worship contribute to their spiritual experience.
To create an urban school of worship for teenagers, which will develop individual worship leaders and musicians and forge them into teams to lead worship for teen peers on Friday nights, for smaller children on Saturday and for supporting churches on Sunday.
To become a catalyst for worship renewal in the community by training youth and mentoring them individually, so that they understand the basics of worship and can participate in planning worship services.
