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.

Select Category
Select Year
Select State/Province
Teacher-Scholar Formation Intercultural

Azusa Pacific University

Alexander Jun

To study the experience of students of color in chapel programs at Christian colleges and universities, and to assess the influence of chapel worship practices on the stated goals of these institutions with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Teacher-Scholar
Azusa, california
2020
Learn more
Worshiping Communities Intergenerational

Beloved Community Church

To facilitate intergenerational worship by gathering mothers to collaboratively create worship practices for use in both corporate worship and in the home.

Worshiping Communities
Cincinnati, ohio
2020
Learn more
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
Learn more
Worshiping Communities Sacraments

Celebration Fellowship

To nourish Christian unity and interpersonal connection within a prison by initiating and reflecting on a weekly practice of the eucharist.

Worshiping Communities
Grand Rapids, michigan
2020
Learn more
Worshiping Communities Education/Leadership

Christ Church Maplewood

To reimagine worship as an act of justice by decolonizing the congregation's worship practices to ensure that each is engaged in a culturally appropriate way.

Worshiping Communities
Maplewood, missouri
2020
Learn more
Teacher-Scholar Liturgy Worship Resources

College of St. Scholastica

Elizabeth Anderson

To survey the process of revising the calendar of commemorations in the Episcopal Church since 2003 and to offer a proposal for how calendar reform might proceed amidst a diversity of theological understandings and liturgical practices.

Teacher-Scholar
Duluth, minnesota
2020
Learn more
Teacher-Scholar Accessibility Worship Practices

Columbia Theological Seminary

Rebecca Spurrier

To create a liturgical resource that responds to ableist images, narratives, and symbols that are common in Christian worship, drawing from insights in liturgical studies and disability studies.

Teacher-Scholar
Decatur, georgia
2020
Learn more
Worshiping Communities Education/Leadership

Comunidad Cristiana de Grand Rapids

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.

Worshiping Communities
Grand Rapids, michigan
2020
Learn more
Teacher-Scholar Congregational Life Formation

Concordia University

Rhoda Schuler

To analyze the field research data on the adult catechumenate in the Lutheran church and to offer workshops that help pastors and congregations envision an adult catechumenal model that could transform their congregations.

Teacher-Scholar
St. Paul, minnesota
2020
Learn more
Worshiping Communities Architecture/Space Music

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

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.

Worshiping Communities
Minneapolis, minnesota
2020
Learn more