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Worship Renewal Grant Recipients—Region East Central United States

You can view posters displayed at Colloquium for grant recipients from the years 2003-2008. Click on the organization's name for an image of the poster. (You may need to zoom in to read the text on the poster.)

The following is a combined list of churches and organizations that received Worship Renewal Grants during the years 2000 - 2008. Sort the following list by State/Province

Ada Christian School, Ada, Michigan To create a program for teaching students and teachers the elements of worship, and modeling those elements in informal and formal worship services.

Akron Christian Reformed Church, Akron, Ohio To develop music and visual arts for the liturgical year which will encourage and inspire creativity in small congregations with limited resources.

Alliance Evangelical Friends Church, Alliance, Ohio To establish a series of workshops for worship leaders and children to develop a philosophy of worship for children’s worship and age appropriate activities for use in children’s worship ministries.

Althoff Catholic High School, Belleville, Illinois To enhance participation in the celebration of the sacraments and prayer services both in school and local parishes through providing music and liturgical training for children and youth, their teachers, music directors, principals and pastors.

American Lutheran Church, Clinton Township, Michigan To explore the role and meaning of visual symbols in worship and incorporate them as a catalyst for other types of expression through intergenerational learning experiences that will build a vocabulary of faith.

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Green Bay, Wisconsin To initiate avenues for teens and young adults to become involved in planning and leading worship for a growing multicultural congregation.

Beckwith Hills Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To engage the congregation in a study of the liturgical seasons and creation of visual arts that will guide worshipers throughout the year.

Bethany Christian Services, Grand Rapids, Michigan To identify the most important spiritual needs of adolescents in residential treatment programs, to develop worship utilizing music, art, drama and design which addresses those needs, and to develop a training module for staff and volunteers who lead worship in residential treatment settings.

Bethany Church, Muskegon, Michigan To form multigenerational, multicultural teams in which participants can explore how their gifts can be used in worship through music and the arts.

Bethany Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana To offer weekly courses which will include examples of liturgical forms and explanations of the meaning and relevance of those forms to daily life in the 21st century, and to incorporate this information through visits with people and through mentoring seminary students.

Bethel Christian Reformed Church, Fulton, Illinois To explore the role of visual arts in making the Lord’s Supper and Baptism more meaningful by giving attention to the church year in corporate worship and small group discussions.

Bethel Lutheran Church, Chicago, Illinois To create contextually appropriate worship opportunities for African American young adults through the training of young leaders and the development of a Praise Dance Ministry.

Bethel-Bethany United Church of Christ, Milwaukee, Wisconsin To encourage the use and appreciation of multicultural music and liturgy in the worship services of four Lutheran and Reformed congregations located in a multicultural neighborhood through the development of a congregational/ecumenical model for worship renewal.

Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, Cincinnati, Ohio To examine historic traditions of African American worship and incorporate them into worship services, through a process that includes 40 ministry leaders who will participate in a 13-week Bible study, retreat, seminars, and a citywide worship service.

Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, Cincinnati, Ohio To engage the congregation’s urban youth through workshops on hip hop, dance, and art that culminate with youth involvement in planning and leading worship.

Big Rapids Deanery of the Grand Rapids Diocese, Reed City, Michigan To conduct a series of 6 sessions for reading, study and reflection on the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and the influence it has on liturgy and the people who gather for worship.

Black Catholic Convocation Implementation Sub-Committee, Chicago, Illinois To empower youth to study and plan liturgies with a particular emphasis on music, art and sacramental celebration in African American congregations.

Blackhawk Presbytery, Oregon, Illinois To challenge and support the 89 Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations of northern Illinois through workshops that equip members of the congregations to promote the study of corporate worship in the Reformed tradition in each congregation.

Brent House, Chicago, Illinois To create worship liturgies that connect classic Christian texts and secular artistic, literary, and philosophical works in collaboration with local congregations and campus ministries.

Broadway Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, Princeton, Indiana To develop skills of listening, training and creating in order to design meaningful worship for the “Millennial generation.”

Broadway United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana To create worship services that expand the range of music, visual art and technology used in worship, incorporate the gifts of lay leaders in worship planning and reflect their multicultural community.

Caledonia Presbyterian Church, Vevay, Indiana To collaborate with three small, rural churches to create a series of twelve banners, each representing and interpreting an element of worship. Work group members will research and study the theological meaning of each element of worship, collaborate to create a visual representation of that meaning, construct the banner and write narratives interpreting their symbolism so that the banners can be incorporated into worship.

Calvary Third United Presbyterian Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana To study and respond to the Psalms through prayer and jazz music in both corporate worship and small groups during the entire year.

Campus Chapel Ministries, Ann Arbor, Michigan To deepen students’ understanding of theology and the arts in worship in partnership with two other campus ministries through workshops and planning worship together.

Campus Chapel of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan To train students in leading congregational singing, presenting liturgy and Scripture and performing drama during services.

Campus Chapel of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan To develop student worship leaders, increase understanding of worship among the membership, and enrich the visual dimension of worship through installations for the seasons of the church year.

Campus Chapel of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan To deepen corporate confession and lament during services in Advent and Lent with images, music and movement.

Cascade Fellowship Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To conduct workshops in biblical storytelling that will provide skills for telling stories in worship and for use in family devotions.

Catholic Diocese of Belleville/St. Benedict the Black Friary, Belleville, Illinois To offer symposiums in worship planning, music, art, liturgy and drama for high school students and faculty who seek to plan and lead worship that is richly African-American and authentically Christian.

Chesterville United Methodist Church, Chesterville, Ohio To deepen worship experiences in small, rural congregations through training of worship leaders-including teens, enhancing worship environments, and culminating in an Art As Worship Festival for the community.

Chicago Church of Christ, Elmhurst, Illinois To explore new music, dance and drama that will deepen worship and bridge racial, cultural and generational divides to promote unity among people in the congregation who represent 40 different countries and meet in several locations.

Christian Reformed Home Missions, Grand Rapids, Michigan To develop worship resources and support for prisoners in both understanding and participating in worship by forming relationships between six West Michigan congregations (CRC and RCA) and worshiping communities in prisons.

Christian Student Foundation, Muncie, Indiana To provide student leaders the skills and experience needed to plan and lead worship services through a leadership retreat, peer mentoring program and workshops.

Church of the Redeemer, Grand Rapids, Michigan To commission art and music suitable for services conducted within the home, to assist home-based churches in worship planning, and to write a series of articles to encourage home-based churches to reflect on their worship practices with respect to intentional liturgy.

Church of the Redeemer United Church of Christ, Westlake, Ohio To instruct and strengthen core teams of lay leaders through a year-long mentorship to create written resources, visual arts, graphics and musical arrangements for worship.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center – Department of Pastoral Care, Cincinnati, Ohio To create scripturally-based, experientially rich worship using music, dance, visual art and writing for patients in treatment at an adolescent residential psychiatric facility.

City Hope Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan To learn about worship and develop practical and innovative resources for worship which use the unique and varied gifts of four diverse congregations.

CLC Network (Christian Learning Center), Grand Rapids, Michigan To explore ways to make worship accessible for children and adults with disabilities and to recognize and encourage the participation and leadership of those with special needs and gifts through a partnership with eight to ten congregations.

Community Recovery International, Grand Rapids, Michigan To offer weekly recovery services which encourage the use of artistic talents and personal testimonies that express God’s grace and forgiveness so that worship becomes the foundation of the healing process.

Community Recovery International, Grand Rapids, Michigan To develop worship experiences for women coming out of abusive backgrounds that will help them restore trustworthy relationships with God, family, and the church.

Cornerstone Youth Ministries, Holland, Michigan To train adult and youth leaders through a retreat and monthly gatherings to create and lead weekly worship that engages urban youth through word, visual arts and music.

Covenant Christian Reformed Church, Appleton, Wisconsin To host Worship and the Visual Arts, a conference to explore the theology of integrating visual arts with congregational worship, especially in the small church.

Covenant Life Church (Christian Reformed), Grand Haven, Michigan To develop a process of worship renewal within the congregation by training worship leaders, by deepening the practices of prayer and the reading of Scripture in worship, and by commissioning inner city youth to create art for worship. The project will also offer monthly worship services employing all the senses and actively involving the congregation.

Crescent Avenue United Methodist Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana To collaborate with neighboring churches by sponsoring numerous sessions reflecting on global worship and the normativity of the multicultural church, implementing music, prayers and rituals of African, Central and South American and Asian Christians in worship, and extending hospitality to people from a variety of cultures.

Crosswinds Community (Reformed Church in America), Fennville, Michigan To engage the congregation in a study of their worship environment, and to hold a symposium exploring how the arts can help shape a worship setting, especially for churches that do not have a permanent worship facility.

Davidic Ministries COGIC, Grand Rapids, Michigan To offer worship workshops for member of the congregation, train worship leaders, and identify and create new expressions of worship in multicultural, urban ministry through partnership with neighboring congregations.

Detroit Annual Conference, The United Methodist Church, Flint, Michigan To empower youth to plan and lead worship through study of and exposure to various forms of worship.

Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance, Detroit, Michigan To empower youth of eleven parishes to lead worship using music that is both authentically Catholic and authentically Black.

Diocesan Worship Directors of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan To provide liturgical formation for musicians and others responsible for liturgical preparation to aid them in choosing appropriate liturgical music through participation in a Summer Camp.

Diocesan Worship Directors of Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan To provide liturgical formation to musicians and others responsible for liturgy through a Summer Camp experience.

Diocesan Worship Directors of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan To provide liturgical formation for those involved in parish liturgical ministry with a concerted effort to identify and mentor young adults who will participate as liturgical leaders in the church.

Diocese of Gaylord, Gaylord, Michigan To offer liturgical training in three locations and through Interactive Distance Learning for church leaders who will assist their churches with liturgical planning and formation, and workshops on liturgical topics.

Diocese of Gaylord, Gaylord, Michigan To develop a three-year Institute for Liturgy offering 10 courses which will equip participants to offer regional and congregational educational events regarding church liturgy.

Diocese of Gaylord, Gaylord, Michigan To establish an Institute for Liturgy to train lay leaders in worship leadership, including a distance learning classroom.

Edgewater Presbyterian Church, Chicago, Illinois To create new resources for worship which reflect the diversity of the congregation, including the chronically mentally ill and immigrants from numerous countries, in order to unite the worshiping community.

Eighth St. Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana To provide vision for and promote engagement in ecumenical worship through a series of planned worship services and other events.

Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions Region VI, Toledo, Ohio To offer a Liturgy Summer Camp that will provide a basic understanding of liturgy for lay persons in Michigan and Ohio.

Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions Region VI, Toledo, Ohio To offer a Liturgy Summer Camp to provide a basic understanding of liturgy to lay persons in Michigan and Ohio.

Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions Region VI, Toledo, Ohio To sponsor a Liturgy Summer Camp for adults and young adults to provide basic liturgical understanding to lay leaders in congregations in Michigan and Ohio.

Ferry Memorial Reformed Church, Montague, Michigan To host a series of workshops, each focusing on a unique cognitive or sensory way children worship God through visual arts, music arts, movement arts and writing arts, in order to investigate new ways of worshipping intergenerationally.

First Congregational Church, UCC, Lockport, Illinois To develop a collaborative youth worship leadership training program for junior high, high school and college students in four congregations.

First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, Ohio To offer worship resources and training to congregations who desire to be supportive faith communities in times of death and dying.

First Presbyterian Church, Schoolcraft, Michigan To develop fresh, participatory ways to experience preaching, music, scripture and the sacraments through a series of seminars for their congregation and six nearby collaborating congregations.

First Presbyterian Church, Montpelier, Ohio To form small groups that will join with the pastor for Bible study, background research, service planning, and preparation of devotional materials for the congregation that connect the worship services with daily life.

First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, Birmingham, Michigan To engage in study and reflection with leaders from several congregations on how visual arts, technology, drama, and liturgical movement can deepen corporate worship.

First Union Church, Cedarville, Michigan To develop intergenerational, scriptural worship through a series of seminars to help the congregation engage in the beauty, mystery, majesty and holiness of God using photography, music, and speaking.

Fredericktown United Methodist Church, Fredericktown, Ohio To nurture active, intergenerational corporate worship by training parents, grandparents and church school leaders and providing resources for them to promote the daily worship of God in children’s lives in the context of the liturgical year.

Fredericktown United Methodist Church, Fredericktown, Ohio To connect weekly worship with daily living by encouraging personal and family Bible study and discussion that will be further explored through the Sunday sermon, drama, and congregational discussions.

Friends of the Groom, Terrace Park, Ohio To equip young people to present Biblical readings, scenes and readings which are appropriate for worship and to provide training in the purpose and meaning of worship.

Friends of the Groom, Milford, Ohio To offer creative worship experiences, using theater and the arts, to five to seven congregations, and to teach them how to create artistic expressions of worship that will deepen the worship life of the congregation.

Friends of the Groom, Terrace Park, Ohio To equip five congregations to incorporate Vertical Habits into their worship life by offering workshops that combine theater, scripture, personal/theological reflection and worship traditions and by providing follow-up meetings and a newsletter that will create community, support and an exchange of ideas among the participating churches.

Friendship Village of Schaumburg, Schaumburg, Illinois To develop a small-group worship experience modeled on and adapted from the book Young Children and Worship by Sonja Stewart and Jerome Berryman, for persons with dementia in a large, non-denominational continuing care retirement community.

Grace Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To introduce liturgical dance and movement into worship in their racially, economically and educationally diverse urban congregation.

Grace Community Christian Reformed Church, Oak Lawn , Illinois To incorporate the worshipping community in worship planning by creating a collaborative process for sermon development that includes learning the role of the sermon, reflecting critically on current practices, and taking part in the process of developing the sermon.

Guild House Campus Ministry, Ann Arbor, Michigan To partner college students and congregational members in a study of worship and the arts that will lead to worship planning that encourages testimony and students in leadership roles.

Hessel Park Christian Reformed Church, Champaign, Illinois To create visual materials for worship and develop skills in worship and music leaders for integrating contemporary and traditional hymnody in university-oriented congregations.

Holland Home, Grand Rapids, Michigan To develop and pilot a hospitable worship model for persons with mid- to late stage dementia. Based on their learning, they will prepare a handbook presenting the concepts and rationale for planning worship experiences and activities for persons with dementia living in a residential unit. The project also includes workshops, training sessions, and a one-day conference for worship leaders.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Kennebunk, Maine To explore the use of new music, liturgical art and drama in worship that will engage the entire human experience of body, soul, mind, and spirit.

Holy Family Parish, Waukegan, Illinois To foster hospitality by creating multi-cultural and intergenerational worship planning and leadership through a collaborative study of worship, tradition, and culture.

Home Acres Reformed Church, Kentwood, Michigan To equip people of all ages to participate actively in worship through an instructional program that teaches basic music skills and understanding of the role of music in worship and the life of the congregation.

Hope Network, Grand Rapids, Michigan To prepare ten congregations from a wide range of Christian traditions to include persons with physical and mental disabilities through seminars, training and consultation with clergy and lay leaders, and to assist them in developing a congregational plan for the intentional inclusion of these persons in worship, fellowship, education, service and justice activities.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Evanston, Illinois To commission a new cantata which will contain elements from the classical Lutheran tradition, integrate the cantata into worship and offer an educational series for the congregation.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Evanston, Illinois To institute a series of three cantatas to reaffirm the music and worship values of the congregation, provide a rallying point for evangelism and serve as a stimulus for the development of musical skills of adults and youth.

Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Warrenville, Illinois To support a composer-in-residence program along with an education program on music in worship.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship – Great Lakes East Region, Ann Arbor, Michigan To equip IVCF chapters in worship leadership by offering a worship team curriculum and assisting worship teams in skill development, which will diversify and theologically strengthen the worship expressions of IVCF chapters so they might be a welcoming community for students from many countries.

Judson College, Elgin, Illinois To sponsor a two-day conference to discuss church architecture, its impact on evangelical worship, and how excellent church architecture can be developed within the evangelical community.

Judson College, Elgin, Illinois To promote the creation of architecturally inspiring worship spaces that serve the Protestant evangelical community through a two-day conference.

Kelloggsville Christian School, Kelloggsville, Michigan To create a program for teaching students and teachers the elements of worship, and modeling those elements in informal and formal worship services.

LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To investigate and implement ways in which participation in formal worship can be made increasingly accessible to children and youth.

Lake View Lutheran Church, Chicago, Illinois To incorporate lay leaders of all ages in planning and leading worship around themes of justice and mercy to meet the needs of the surrounding urban community.

LaSalle Street Church, Chicago, Illinois To effect greater immediacy in worship for worshippers by combining research on the church calendar and worship planning around the liturgical year.

Leadership Program for Musicians Serving Small Parishes, Brooklyn, Ohio To begin a program which will teach leadership and pastoral skills for leading worship, and will enhance the relationship of musicians and clergy.

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Prospect Heights, Illinois To evaluate and expand an arts enrichment program that will impact public worship.

Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, Illinois To equip ten pastors from congregations of different geographic and ecumenical contexts to creatively preach on worship and sacrament in a way that combines the worshiper’s reflection with biblical stories and images.

Maple Avenue Ministries, Holland, Michigan To study and reflect on the nature of worship and the use of visual and dramatic arts, music, poetry and liturgy in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in order to break barriers of perceived differences in age, race, ethnicity, theology, accustomed worship style and socio-economic status.

Midwest Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Belleville, Illinois To conduct teaching sessions for clergy and laity centered on the topics of preparation, observance of the Lord’s Day, prayer, praise, proclamation, obedience, offerings, service, congregational participation, holiness of life, significance of preaching of the Word of God and the administration of the sacraments.

Monroe Community Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To explore Old Testament worship as a guide for understanding worship elements and to gain a depth of understanding of our own covenant renewal in worship.

Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois To study liturgy, music, and art as an interdenominational group of local pastors and lay leaders and to plan a combined worship service.

Muskegon Christian School, Muskegon, Michigan To design worship and curriculum that emphasizes the unity of the body of Christ and the richness of differing worship styles across racial and cultural lines through building relationships with families and the worship team of Angel Community Church.

Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To study Scripture and inspire collaborative composition of new music, poetry, art and devotional materials that will center attention on the promise and presence of the Holy Spirit’s work in and among his people.

New Community Fourth Reformed Church, Holland, Michigan To explore how worship can reflect the rich diversity of the community through a study of worship space, the Lord’s Supper, liturgy, language and music.

New Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church, Detroit, Michigan To deepen musical leadership through the formation of a committee of choir directors and musicians from local churches that focuses on congregational singing.

North American Association for the Catechumenate, Pataskala, Ohio To support a conference on programs to integrate worship, evangelism, hospitality, and small group ministries in the process of welcoming new members to a congregation.

Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA, Kidron, Ohio To engage leaders of 75 congregations in a deeper understanding and practice of testimony in worship through a workshop, book studies and quarterly discussions.

Palos Park Presbyterian Community Church, Palos Park, Illinois To sponsor a Worship Renewal Weekend for adults and children to provide multilevel learning experiences in which the theology of worship is applied using a variety of worship styles and forms.

Pathway Ministries, Byron Center, Michigan To partner with other small congregations to explore the ways congregational song can help worshipers grow by connecting music in church and at home.

Power House Youth Center, Inc., New Haven, Indiana To become a catalyst for worship renewal in the community by training youth and mentoring them individually, so that they understand the basics of worship and can participate in planning worship services.

Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana To integrate children into planning, leading, and participating in worship through a summer education program, a workshop, a major conference, an internship program, and resource production.

Reformed Bible College, Grand Rapids, Michigan To assess current worship services, events and courses at the college, and to explore ways to offer diverse worship services built on a biblical foundation of worship.

Rochester College, Rochester Hills, Michigan To train students to be effective worship leaders in chapel and other worship opportunities through a Worship Training Seminar Series for the purpose of focusing the community’s vision on worship that is both spiritually vital and theologically rooted, having integrity and relevance.

Salem United Methodist Church, Bremen, Indiana To fund a one-day conference for hymnwriters from Northern Indiana on writing hymns and other songs for worship.

Salvation Army, Flint, Michigan To develop a worship service called Cross-ConneXions, and other discipleship programs for youth and young adults.

Second Christian Reformed Church, Grand Haven, Michigan To explore the creative use of the existing worship space as well as to define and expand the usage of that space through intergenerational study and dialogue on worship.

Shawnee Park Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To empower young people to add rhythm, melody, and harmony to familiar and favorite Scripture passages with the goal of incorporating the resulting music in weekly worship services.

Sherman Street Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To collaborate as a group of pastors and youth leaders in urban Grand Rapids to learn about the dynamics of worship in relationship to urban youth and hip hop and to explore the possibilities of incorporating their discoveries into the wider worshiping body.

South Bend Christian Reformed Church, South Bend, Indiana To provide workshops and discussions that will assist the congregation in designing, placing and dedicating a baptismal font, a table and a pulpit in their new sanctuary.

South Grandville Christian Reformed Church, Grandville, Michigan To deepen hospitality and community in worship through congregational workshops and training that will encourage intergenerational participation and leadership.

Southport Baptist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana To develop and implement a process in which leaders will be identified, trained and empowered to develop a drama ministry, including hosting a regional, weekend-long Christians in Theatre Arts conference.

St. Catherine of Siena Center of Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois To explore and animate the linkage between worship and justice through a process, including a conference, theological reflection, and a series of public worship events, which will lead to the creation of resources to help deepen the connection between worship and justice.

St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School, Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan To encourage a deeper involvement in and understanding of worship among students by focusing on prayer in small group gatherings and creating concrete sensory liturgical experiences.

St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School, Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan To train members of the school faculty and staff to prepare children for increased participation in worship through training in music, liturgical rites, the dramatic portrayal of scripture, dance, puppets and art.

St. Gregory the Great Parish, Milwaukee, Wisconsin To develop excellence in liturgy by training lay worship leaders, including cantors, lectors, adult and children's choirs, by providing days of retreat and reflection, and by educating liturgy and music personnel to use music software.

St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To study the implications of church architecture and sacred space in worship through a Peer Learning process that will assist the congregation to develop plans for the construction of a new church building.

St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To train worship leaders about the purpose of worship, preparation for worship, prayer, biblically-based praise, preaching, giving, congregational participation and holiness of life by offering a retreat and workshops for six congregations.

St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To conduct a retreat and workshops for six churches on the purpose of worship, preparation for worship, prayer, biblically-based praise, preaching/teaching, giving, congregational participation and holiness of life.

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana To prepare college, university, and seminary students for musician and clergy positions in churches through a worship conference.

St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Chicago, Illinois To conduct a series of workshops that focus on the role of art and its impact on worship.

St. Michael and St. Rose Parishes, Milwaukee, Wisconsin To provide training in liturgical practices and music for the multicultural youth choirs of two churches that will encourage youth to take an active role in worship as a way to strengthen their identity within the worshiping community.

St. Michael Parish, Milwaukee, Wisconsin To train choirs and choir directors of six congregations which include Hmong, Lao, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Anglo- and African-American Christians and represent more than 3400 people, to refine their skills and renew their sense of mission. This project involves conducting retreats and workshops, and commissioning members to write music for the choir that is bi-lingual, appropriate for worship and specific to events such as Pentecost and Palm Sunday.

Tabernacle Community Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan To explore Old Testament worship in light of New Testament themes and to probe its implications for a variety of worship practices including cross cultural relationships and the arts.

The Leadership Program for Musicians, Saginaw, Michigan To develop a training program that will prepare people to teach the Leadership Program for Musicians, a series of classes on music in worship, to ecumenical groups throughout the United States.

The Leadership Program for Musicians, Saginaw, Michigan To collaborate with a local planning committee to establish a new LPM program, to develop a model for the establishment of local LPM programs in other areas and to explore new ways of enriching the training.

Timothy Christian High School, Elmhurst, Illinois To sponsor a worship conference and educational experience for high school students in Christian High Schools in the Midwest.

Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, Illinois To develop a process for worship renewal by linking worship, education, and the mission of the college.

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lakewood, Ohio To collaborate with congregations of all denominations through a series of workshops focusing on music in worship, biblical storytelling, liturgical art, and contemplative methods that allow all congregations to share their talents and best worship practices.

Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio To offer a daylong symposium and to develop resources for singing the psalms in worship. The project will acquaint worship leaders with choices involving musical styles, methods and modes of presentation and accompaniment, and equip worship leaders to teach others to embrace the psalms.

Turning Pointe School of Dance, Holland, Michigan To plan a two-day Sacred Dance Conference to teach the principles and guidelines for using dance in worship.

United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio To study the Eucharist and its practice in the United Methodist church through a collaboration with six congregations, and to enrich existing Easter Vigil liturgies through the use of liturgical dance, storytelling, and the electronic media while encouraging other congregations to institute Vigils for the first time.

United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio To assist at least two congregations as they initiate ministries to young adults on university campuses. The project will provide theological reflection, consultation and training for worship team leaders in music, visual arts, media and Biblical storytelling, and assist these congregations in a process of recovery, development and testing of the adult catechumenate.

United Theological Seminary, Trotwood, Ohio To design a process of catechism for those seeking baptism or confirmation in six diverse United Methodist congregations such that both the catechumenate and the congregations are renewed through the Easter Vigil celebration.

Valley Baptist Ministers Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio To discuss the theological foundations of worship renewal and strategies for forming congregations around them as a peer learning group of local Baptist ministers and church leaders.

Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin To gather information and establish a common set of expectations and values for worship services, to identify planning models that work within the framework of shared responsibility, and to implement these guidelines and models in the long-range planning of a year of worship services.

Wedgwood Christian Youth and Family Services, Grand Rapids, Michigan To provide a comprehensive review of worship programming for youth so that they encounter God in worship, and to train youth and staff in a deeper understanding of worship.

Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois To develop regional locations for the Church Pianists' Institute which provides a biblical perspective on worship, and practical instruction in traditional and contemporary styles of worship for keyboard musicians.

Winnetka Presbyterian Church, Winnetka, Illinois To acquire knowledge about successful techniques for integrating multiply-challenged children into corporate worship, develop and implement a model for training clergy and lay leaders to welcome these children and their families, and help participating parents gain skills and confidence in exploring faith practices with their children.

Winnetka Presbyterian Church, Winnetka, Illinois To increase involvement and understanding of sermons by engaging youth, leaders and pastors in a process of preparation which will include discussion of the text, life applications and the creation of visual materials.

Worship Event 2002, Gladstone, Michigan To sponsor "Igniting Ministry through Worship," three day long sessions and one two-day session for pastors, musicians and lay leaders to increase skills in preparing and leading vital worship.

Worship Subcommittee of the Northeastern Ohio Synod (ELCA), Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio To establish a series of workshops utilizing musical resources and ethnically appropriate instruments to teach songs of the global church, and to make the instruments and music available on loan to congregations following the workshops.

Zion Lutheran Church, Ferndale, Michigan To engage four congregations in a process of worship renewal for adults and youth through an educational retreat, an ecumenical worship service, the development of a new African American liturgy, and instruction on the use of percussive instruments in worship that is sensitive to various cultures while preserving the historical order of worship.

Click here for information on the Worship Renewal Grants Program.