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 integrate new communal practices into worship in order to more deeply connect worshipers to the body of Christ and to welcome others into such a community.
To facilitate the full participation of worshipers from all faith backgrounds by enhancing both the physical space for worship and the forms of music and visual arts in the liturgy.
To explore the story of the shared neighborhood of seven churches in order to cultivate worship that is responsive to God's work in the churches' immediate context.
To deepen worshipers' awareness of the beauty and character of God by engaging various art forms in an intergenerational and ecumenical context on campus and in partner churches.
To reflect the church's renewed mission to become a sanctuary for the city by broadening worshipers' imagination for worship and deepening its engagement with the community.
To create an intentional process for selecting music for congregational singing that promotes vibrant worship and facilitates the full, conscious, active participation of worshipers.
To use liturgical art and creative rituals to create inclusive worship that welcomes worshipers of all ages, abilities and cultures.
To reflect theologically on communal worship that incorporates prayer, praise, and servant leadership, in order to facilitate deeper participation and engagement with God in worship.
To enliven worship through the arts, especially jazz, and environmental awareness to discover the wonder and joy of being stewards of God's creation.
To deeply engage scripture in worship through prayer stations that explore the history, theology, spirituality, and justice elements of the weekly scripture text.
To invite people into the biblical story and exploration of the seasons of the liturgical year by collaborating on a permanent artwork for worship.
To nourish the faith of worshipers by experiencing and reflecting on different ways of celebrating the Lord's Supper and reconnecting it to the preaching of the Word.
