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.

91ÁÔÆæ Leadership
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Trevecca Nazarene University

Vernon Whaley

To strengthen the theological training and spiritual formation of worship leaders through the development of foundational courses for a worship leadership certificate program.

Teacher-Scholar
Nashville, tennessee
2023

Queen's College

Robert Neil Cooke

To develop a theology of technology and social media that leads to the development of liturgical skills in the local church context and of ways to utilize technology and social media to strengthen the public activities of the church.

Teacher-Scholar
St. John's, newfoundland and labrador
2022

The Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest

Brandon Crowley

To support and engage the public worship of African American congregations by creating a workbook that teaches pastors and local church leaders how to be more inclusive of Black women and LGBTQIA+ folx in their worship designs.

Teacher-Scholar
Austin, texas
2022

Yale University

Melanie Ross

To research the worship music industry, Christian higher education, and congregational ministry, in order to explore the intersection of liturgy and economics, to provide a history of how worship became part of the commercial music and entertainment industry, and to understand the ways that congregations and Christian colleges that train future worship leaders have responded to this shift.

Teacher-Scholar
New Haven, connecticut
2022

Dordt University

Jeremy Perigo

To investigate emerging issues in liturgical theology through podcast and video interviews with scholars and practitioners, in order to empower local ministry leaders and churches to discern theologically and imagine liturgically the characteristics of Christian worship in their own context.

Teacher-Scholar
Sioux Center, iowa
2021

Emory University

Susan E. Hylen

To study the history of women's participation in church life in the early church with pastors and church leaders, discerning how historical claims do (and should) function in contemporary discussions.  

Teacher-Scholar
Atlanta, georgia
2019

Fuller Theological Seminary

Ed Willmington

To research six vocational competencies of well-formed worship leaders and develop a variety of resources to share insights related to the formation of worship leaders.

Teacher-Scholar
Pasadena, california
2019