Understanding these two aspects of the church is key for a generation ambivalent about organizational structures.
Author
Andrew C. Thompson
The Rev. Andrew C. Thompson is an ordained elder in the Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and is currently pursuing a Th.D. at Duke Divinity School and serving as pastor of Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church in Henderson, N.C. He writes regularly about generational issues for the United Methodist Reporter and on his blog, Gen-X Rising.
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Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship are designed for worshiping communities. These grants allow a wide range of Christian worshiping communities to focus on projects that connect public worship with Christian discipleship and faith formation. Funding awards range from $8,000 to $25,000.
The grants support year-long projects that show promise in fostering renewed or strengthened worship practices within worshiping communities in the United States or Canada. Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants for teacher-scholars are also available. Applications for the October 15 deadline will open on July 15, 2026.
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