The $18,000 Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant will support visiting practitioners for the seminary’s weekly community worship services and community meals.
Chicago, Aug. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) has received a one-year $18,000 Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, which will support the enrichment of its weekly Community Worship services. The number of proposals this round was atypically large, and NPTS was one of 77 selected to strengthen Christian worship practices and preaching.
The project, titled “Centering Down: Contemplative Practices for Diverse Communities,” will expand and deepen the Community Worship services, which are the main community formation event for NPTS students, especially those who are local. They are open not only to the entire North Park community but also to the surrounding neighborhood. Services begin at 4:30 p.m. each Tuesday at Isaacson Chapel on the North Park campus.
“As the general seminary student population has evolved from individuals freshly out of their undergraduate programs to pastors who have already been in ministry for years, Community Worship has evolved alongside it,” said Associate Professor of Worship Dr. David Bjorlin BA ’06, MDiv ’11 who was part of the NPTS Spiritual Formation Committee that developed the project. “While still providing hands-on preaching experience, it now also serves as an intentional time of spiritual nourishment through worship and interactive services.”
Seminary Administrative Coordinator Kara Shroyer, who is an NPTS student herself, said, “These services are essential to seminary education because they integrate class and worship in an intentional setting, strengthening the connections students have with one another. The weekly rhythm of gathering also helps students and employees alike continually center on their ‘why.'”
Made possible through the grant, NPTS will invite guest speakers to share differences in contemplative worship styles across cultures—such as meditation or drum circles—so that students can broaden their perspectives. The practitioners will join students in their worship course one week to teach about their contemplative practice, then lead the Community Worship chapel service the following week so that students can see it in action. Immediately following the chapel service, the practitioners will facilitate a reflective conversation over dinner about the service and how students can apply it within the context of their congregations.
This is the seminary’s second time receiving a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant. The first was in 2017 for its “Worship Across” project, which explored worship across cultural divides, such as politics, technology, and abilities.
This program is made possible through a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.
About North Park University and North Park Theological Seminary
North Park University is city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for Christian higher education in 21st-century America. Its seminary, North Park Theological Seminary, provides a holistic theological education that prioritizes compassionate dialogue, contextual learning, and spiritual health. Follow NPU on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Follow NPTS on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant? It’s an $18,000, one-year grant awarded to North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., to support the enrichment of Christian worship and preaching practices.
What will the grant fund at NPTS? It funds “Centering Down: Contemplative Practices for Diverse Communities,” a project that brings visiting practitioners to NPTS’s weekly Community Worship services. These guests will teach a worship course, lead a chapel service demonstrating their style, and facilitate a reflective dinner conversation with students afterward.
When and where do Community Worship services take place? Services are held every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Isaacson Chapel on the NPTS campus and are open to the entire North Park community as well as the surrounding neighborhood.
Is this the seminary’s first time receiving this grant? No. NPTS previously received a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant in 2017 for its “Worship Across” project, which explored worship across cultural and political divides.
How many organizations received this grant in the current round? NPTS was one of 77 organizations selected from an unusually large applicant pool this cycle.
CONTACT: Kennedy Murphy North Park University (773) 244-5772 kmurphy@northpark.edu
