Cheryl M. Lawrence is pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and an ordained elder in the N.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church. Prior to earning a master of divinity from Duke University and becoming a pastor, she was a feature writer for a daily newspaper in Louisiana.
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.
A learning resource for Christian leaders and their
