Chicago, IL—North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) has been named a recipient of a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, recognizing the Seminary’s ongoing commitment to forming students through vibrant, communal worship.
This year’s grant cycle includes seventy-seven recipients across the United States and Canada supporting creative initiatives that strengthen worship and preaching. Proposals included many collaborative and cohort-based projects, centering themes such as worship and the arts, intergenerational worship, bilingual and intercultural projects, and more.
NPTS’s project, “Centering Down: Contemplative Practices for Diverse Communities,” was developed through a collaborative effort led by the Seminary’s Spiritual Formation Committee: Dr. David Bjorlin (Associate Professor of Worship), Dr. Lama Htoi San Lu (Visiting Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology), Emily Wagner (Director of Student Life and Formation), and Acacia Gin (MDiv student and Seminary intern).
The $18,000 grant will support the continued growth of NPTS’s weekly Community Worship services and gatherings—central spaces for spiritual formation in the life of the Seminary. Through this initiative, NPTS will deepen and enrich these shared practices, expanding opportunities for students to explore diverse forms of worship, develop leadership skills, and be shaped through consistent rhythms of communal prayer and praise.
“In an age of noise and division where more ministers are experiencing burnout, we believe that contemplation is an essential practice for pastors who wish to remain well and lead from a place of integration,” said Dr. David Bjorlin. “With this Calvin Institute of Christian Worship grant, we will explore intercultural and communal contemplative practices within corporate worship to promote personal and vocational resilience. Our students will then be equipped to lead these practices in their own ministerial contexts.”
Rooted in NPTS’s holistic approach to theological education, the project integrates academic learning with lived practices of worship. As students gather week by week for Community Worship, this grant will help cultivate experiences that are both theologically grounded and attentive to the diverse contexts in which graduates are called to serve.
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.
SHARE WITH FRIENDS