April 25, 2017

Vital Worship Grants awarded for 2017 by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

Robert Moore, Ministry to the Military Director, announced today that outreaches near three military bases were the recipients of a grant from The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW). The grant is a part of 33 worship renewal projects for 2017-2018. Church of God Prayer Ministries was also named in the grant, and will partner with the Ministry to the Military in providing prayer and worship resources.

Kathy Smith, director of the Vital Worship Grants Program, noted, “These collaborative projects bring people together to study, plan and create, foster new learning and nourish intergenerational community in worship” through visual arts, storytelling, music, preaching, prayer and contemplation. Their common purpose is a desire to deepen an understanding of worship and strengthen faith formation.

This year’s recipients include 20 congregations, one high school, four colleges and universities, three seminaries, a retirement community, a hospital ministry, a denominational worship committee, a regional synod and Church of God Ministry to the Military. The recipients are from 18 denominations, 19 states and two Canadian provinces.

In June, the project directors and representatives of all 33 grants will gather on Calvin’s campus to dialogue not only with CICW staff, but also with the recipients of 2016 grants, who will come to campus to share the results of their yearlong projects at a poster session that is open to the public. The director for the Church of God Ministry to Military grant is Jennie Humann, also the Church of God Prayer Coordinator.

Robert Moore noted, “We see this as an opportunity to engage our Ministry to Military pastors and families in a significant yearlong, weekly, monthly and quarterly mentoring experience that will reach into the homes of families so often separated by the call to service, and under relentless stress. We want to see Christ pressed into the seams of their daily life.”

On a few occasions, the participating military outreaches will engage with one another to share and strengthen each other. Study materials for special quarterly engagements will produced by Project Pray, and the bases will also make use of the newly released book, study guide and video series, The Great Exchange – Why Your Prayer Requests May Not Be Getting Answers.

Over 700 grants have been awarded in the history of the program. The sponsor of the program is the Lilly Endowment.