1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA

On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2025 91ÁÔÆæ
CICW has awarded Vital 91ÁÔÆæ, 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 fully integrate the arts in the worship life of the church through collaboration among liturgists, musicians, and visual artists, in order to express and embody the attributes of God and the identity of worshipers’ as God’s beloved people.
To strengthen worshipers’ connection with God and with one another by integrating multisensory creative arts in worship
To contextualize worship practices in a Navajo church by engaging Scripture in ways reflective of Navajo cultural practices.
To use Vertical Habits to disciple young adults with developmental disabilities, and to help churches break down barriers to the full, conscious, active participation of those young adults in worship.
To equip children to embody the Christian story through drama in order to deepen their understanding of the God revealed in Scripture.
To enrich worship by exploring the ways that music, dance, and visual arts support both formative and expressive aspects of gathered worship.
To deepen the prayer and worship of a campus community by engaging art in community worship spaces and by creating new art together as a devotional practice.
To promote healing through trauma-informed worship that connects worshipers with the story of God’s actions in the past and present as a source of hope for God’s continued actions in the future.
To foster intergenerational and multicultural engagement in worship in order to deepen worshipers’ connections to Scripture, one another, their community, and their history.
To develop a chapel worship ministry that reflects the ethnic and ecclesial diversity of the campus and community by welcoming diverse theologians and practitioners and cultivating relationships with local churches.
To deepen worshipers’ understanding of the triune God by engaging in and reflecting on the dynamism of jazz music in Christian liturgy.
To embody God’s story and the healing power of Christ in the public square through liturgical dance choreographies developed by worshiping community members who are engaged with Scripture and storytelling.
