Author

Christi O. Brown

Pastoral associate for young adults

Christi O. Brown is a pastoral associate at First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg, S.C. She is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). From 2008 to 2011, she served as a managing director at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity focusing on constituent development and thematic programs, including training for adaptive leadership and judicatory networking. An industrial engineer, Brown is a graduate of Wofford College, Clemson University and Princeton Theological Seminary.

Scars of hope

By Christi O. Brown Pastoral associate for young adults

Everyone has scars and scar stories that are reminders of our wounds. But the scars of Christ are scars of hope, signs that God is with us through all things, says Christi O. Brown.

droplet on a leaf

Apply for a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant 

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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