Zack Harold is a West Virginia native, the grandson of a coal miner, the son of a Pentecostal preacher, a former newspaper and magazine editor and a freelance journalist. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The New Republic, Lapham's Quarterly and 100 Days in Appalachia.
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.