Founded in 1997, CICW is dedicated to using the unique resources of a Christian liberal arts university and theological seminary—with its collegial environment, international faculty and student body, wide interdisciplinary expertise, and culture of ongoing learning—to partner with congregations, denominations, parachurch organizations, professional organizations, and publishers to further our mission.

The implementation of this mission is guided by the following commitments:

1. Integration of Faith and Learning.
   Worship can be immeasurably enriched by rigorous study of the history, theology, and practice of Christian worship. The Institute models the integration of faith and learning which is at the heart of Calvin’s mission.
2. World Perspective.
   We have much to learn from Christian worship in ancient North Africa and modern-day Korea, in medieval Europe and modern-day South America. The Institute promotes learning about and from Christian worship in all times and places.
3. Inter-disciplinary Scope.
   Artists, theologians, cultural anthropologists, missionaries, musicians, historians, pastors, and sociologists all have unique insights into ways Christians may worship God more profoundly. The Institute promotes active discussions among practitioners of several disciplines.
4. Wide Ecumenical Audience.
   The Institute respects and cultivates the strengths of the Reformed, evangelical tradition in which Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary stand, as well as to engage Christians in other traditions.
5. Constructive Purpose.
   The Institute encourages public worship that is both spiritually vital and theologically rooted, that has both integrity and relevance, and resists unnecessary divisions over worship styles.

10 Core Convictions About Worship

A set of key values published on the 10th anniversary as an Institute

Range and Scope of Programming

Funding for the basic operation of CICW is provided by Calvin University. We are also grateful for generous grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. and the Luce Foundation, which have allowed us to significantly increase the range and scope of our programming.

Over the past years, CICW has

• seen our annual Symposium on Worship grow in attendance from 400 to 1,500 annual attendees,
• awarded worship grants to more than 850 congregations throughout North America, and many Christian college campuses, and introduced a second stream of grants to teacher-scholars,
• offered over 250 regional education events in 25 states and provinces,
• co-sponsored worship conferences or training events in Egypt, El Salvador, Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands,
• published 100 books of either scholarly analysis or practical worship resources, including book series with Eerdmans, Baker, and The Alban Institute, and a choral music series with GIA Publications, Inc.,
• developed an extensive library of web-based worship resources,
• translated worship-related writings into Spanish, Korean, and many other languages,
• co-sponsored conferences, consultations, and seminars on diverse topics such as worship and evangelism; the music of Bach; the 35th anniversary of Vatican II; the practice of worship worldwide; worship and aesthetics; worship in post-modern culture; worship and technology; worship and biblical theology; worship on college campuses; universal design for worship; worship and intergenerational faith formation for the urban context; and income inequality, congregational life and the practices of Christian worship,
• partnered with numerous professional organizations, parachurch organizations, colleges and seminaries in various publishing and continuing education events, as well teams and departments of the Christian Reformed Church, and
• mentored students at Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary as active participants in Institute work.

Other Centers and Institutes at Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship is one of several centers and institutes at Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary.
Each of these centers is designed to accomplish particular programmatic goals in research, publication, networking, or educational events in ways that draw on the wide expertise of Calvin faculty and staff, provide rich learning experiences for students, and offer significant resources for a wide audience, locally, nationally, and internationally.