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

On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 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 plan and implement an eight week series on Vertical Habits for both a traditional and a contemporary service, with special attention to original drama, dance, slide presentations, music, fine arts, and short original films.
To help participants learn about Vertical Habits in Sunday worship and carry them into daily life through an eight-part sermon series and multi-sensory worship which will include congregational art and multimedia components, a series of articles by church leaders, and the development of an online web log of daily devotions which includes artwork of children.
To create a series of worship services through dialogue with the Lenten planning team and an ecumenical/ interfaith clergy gathering for the season of Lent in order to develop worship habits through visual arts, dramas, sermons, printed home study materials, and a community blog.
To develop a five-part series on worship basics that is accompanied by small group discussion guides, children and youth curriculum, web resources, visual arts and drama.
To create a worship series on praise, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication that explores what each means, how to incorporate each into corporate worship, and how to develop each outside of corporate worship as regular parts of life through the use of video art, drama, messages, testimonies, music, visual arts, journals, and email.
To incorporate people of all ages and skills in planning and implementing a series on developing worship habits in daily life with particular attention to visual arts, children’s messages, family activities, and sign language to communicate these ideas through kinetic involvement.
To explore how particular aspects of liturgy and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper connect with seasons of the church year through a series of worship services that condenses the entire church calendar into an eight week series with the Lord’s Supper celebrated each week to emphasize the various themes with special attention given to the involvement of children through leadership, visual arts, and dance.
To teach people how to incorporate moments of adoration, confession, intercession, and listening into daily life through worship services that explore both Jesus’ words and examples of each habit and the words and emotions of each habit in the Psalms. Additionally, an intergenerational weekend retreat will be offered where small groups will develop scripture, a hands-on experience and a take-home card to emphasize the practice of the habit.
To create a small group curriculum that includes Friday evening services to introduce urban teens to life in Christ and give them a set of daily practices that build their relationships with Christ.
To teach a six-week series that includes dramatic readings, PowerPoint presentations, video productions, and weekly email devotions to lead worshipers through the Lenten season by showing how the development of daily vertical habits illuminate our walk to the cross and the empty tomb.
To gather a team from each of the ministry areas of the church to plan worship services and create take-home sheets to encourage worshipers to make Vertical Habits a part of their living in a practical and tangible way.
To encounter and practice Vertical Habits as a significant part of spiritual formation through an interactive art exhibit, a month-long devotional written by church leaders and a lecture series taught by pastors from the church or local community.
