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.

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Teacher-Scholar Formation Historical

Dordt University

Kyle Dieleman

To encourage preachers through exploration fo historical and contemporary Advent preaching to consider how preaching can form people for a life in which pacing, expectations, and longings are recast in light of the kingdom of God.

Teacher-Scholar
Sioux Center, iowa
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Historical Pedagogy

Duke University

Lester Ruth

To produce an anthology of curated primary sources to provide easier access to key documents related to the historical development of contemporary praise and worship music.

Teacher-Scholar
Durham, north carolina
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Trauma Worship Leadership

Emmanuel College

HyeRan Kim-Cragg and Mona Tokarek LaFosse

To train international graduate students experiencing the trauma of migration and immigration in practices of trauma-informed worship leading so they can implement the practices in their worshiping communities.

Teacher-Scholar
Toronto, ontario
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Worship Resources

Fuller Theological Seminary

Matthew Kaemingk

To create a handbook that will provide leaders with a host of songs, prayers, blessings, sample worship services, sermon topics, and guides for small-group discussion to equip pastors and worship leaders with practical ideas, advice, and resources to lead effective worship for workers.

Teacher-Scholar
Pasedena, california
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Justice Leadership

Fuller Theological Seminary

Jennifer Ackerman

To study the impact arts-based training encouraging curiosity, creativity, and courage has on pastoral leadership to increase pastors' capacity to lead vibrant, justice-oriented communities of worship.

Teacher-Scholar
Pasedena, california
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Justice Public Witness

Howard University School of Divinity

Harold Dean Trulear

To explore and disseminate best practices for shaping and sustaining a Christian social justice witness through corporate worship.

Teacher-Scholar
Washington, district of columbia
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Pedagogy Preaching

Knox College (2024)

Sarah Travis

To support lay and experienced or retired preachers by developing a pedagogy that prioritizes mutual conversation and consideration of context and social location.

Teacher-Scholar
Toronto, ontario
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Intergenerational Worship Resources

Kuyper College

Richelle White

To create a storytelling lab for an intergenerational group of women to create spoken-word and written testimonies about healing and community building that will serve as liturgies in corporate worship and as a curriculum resource.

Teacher-Scholar
Grand Rapids, michigan
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Formation

Outreach Canada Ministry

Barry Whatley

To explore the vital role of poetic imagination and creative expression of poetry in enhancing spiritual formation and worship in the local church.

Teacher-Scholar
Delta, british columbia
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Formation Visual Arts

Point University

Jennifer Allen Craft

To help Christians recognize and confess how sin distorts our relationship to place and hinders our ability to love our neighbors, and to help the church develop artistic practices of placemaking that advance the kingdom of God by promoting justice, beauty, and connection.

Teacher-Scholar
West Point, georgia
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Preaching

Providence Theological Seminary

Robert Dean

To resituate homiletics within a Christological and robustly trinitarian framework by examining prominent assumptions governing preaching today, in order to revitalize North American preaching for the sake of the formation of worshiping communities.

Teacher-Scholar
Niverville, manitoba
2024
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Teacher-Scholar Historical Music

Rollins College

Harold Dorrell Briscoe

To research the historical and sociopolitical significance of Negro spirituals in movements of liberation, and to demonstrate through workshops, concerts, and an immersive learning trip how these spirituals can enrich modern Christian worship practices.

Teacher-Scholar
Winter Park, florida
2024
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