Russell Lackey is pastor of Mission Lutheran Church in Laguna Niguel, California. He previously served as senior campus pastor at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he held the James E. Rasmussen and Duane M. Skow Chair in Pastoral Excellence. He was the project manager of The Moses Project, funded by the Thriving in Ministry Initiative of Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lackey is the author of "Power and Purpose: The Book of Revelation for Today." He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree in Christian leadership from Duke Divinity School and a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary.
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
