The Valparaiso Practice Grants Program which ended in 2008 provided financial support for projects that helped specific communities nurture a way of life shaped by Christian practices. To learn more about how our grant recipients met this challenge, click on a project title below.

Practicing Our Faith with Teens in the Garden


Recipients for 2009

Rooting the Church in Creation and Community

Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Warrensburg, Missouri)

Hospitality

West End Community Gardens

Community Church without Walls (Birmingham, AL)

Multiple Practices
Recipients for 2008

Living Till We Die: Companions on the Journey

Hospice of the Upstate (Anderson, SC)

Multiple Practices

Mobilizing young adults toward integrative, holistic,active spirituality

LaSalle Street Church (Chicago, IL)

Multiple Practices

Nourishing God's Children: Knowing Christ in the Breaking of the Bread

Immanuel Lutheran Church (Pepin, WI)

Hospitality

Practicing Faith with Children: A Conference

United Church of Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)

Multiple Practices

Restoring Dignity through Beauty

Our Lady of the Road Laundromat-Cafe (South Bend, IN)

Hospitality

The Field at Anathoth--A Writing Sabbatical

Fred Bahnson (Efland, NC)

Multiple Practices

Whether you eat or drink...

Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)

Multiple Practices
Recipients for 2007

Faith Formation in Christian Practices

LifelongFaith Associates (National)

Multiple Practices
Recipients for 2006

12 Baskets-Next Step

Beth Grimshaw (Haslett, MI)

Multiple Practices

A Resource for Practicing Our Faith in Missions

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global Mission (Atlanta, Georgia)

Multiple Practices

Catholic Schools Awareness of Practices

House of Peace (Milwaukee, WI)

Shaping Communities

Christian Practices with Rural Youth

Leeds Community Church (Leeds, ME)

Multiple Practices

Church Music Curriculum

Lutheran Summer Music (Minneapolis, MN)

Singing Our Lives

Exploring Faith Practices Through Field Education

Andover Newton Theological School (Newton, Massachusetts)

Multiple Practices

Faith Church: A Healing Place

Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church (Baltimore, Maryland)

Healing

Faith, Food and Fitness

North Park Theological Seminary (Chicago, Illinois)

Honoring the Body

Grace Café

St. Mark's United Methodist Church (Sacramento, CA)

Another Practice

Graceful Sexuality

Grace Episcopal Church (Bainbridge Island, WA)

Honoring the Body

GraceWorks Community: The Bishop's Young Adult Initiative

Rocky Mountain Conference UMC (Denver, CO & Cheyenne, WY)

Multiple Practices

Growing the Practice of our Faith

Beth McCaw (Dubuque, Iowa)

Multiple Practices

Growing Young Sages: Next Steps

Lexington Christian Academy (Lexington, MA)

Multiple Practices

Just Eating and Holy Tables

Community United Church of Christ (Champaign, Illinois)

Multiple Practices

Living Till We Die: A Next-Step Study Guide

Hospice of the Upstate (Anderson, SC)

Multiple Practices

Money and Wholeness: Personal and Ecological Well-Being

New Creation Community (Seattle, Washington)

Multiple Practices

Neighborhood Peace Garden

Rainier Beach Presbyterian Church (Seattle, WA)

Hospitality

Remember Who You Are

United Church of Chapel HIll (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

Saying Yes & Saying No

Renewal for Health Care Professionals

Holy Ground (Asheville, North Carolina)

Multiple Practices

Respecting and Exploring Diverse Community

Lutheran Volunteer Corps (Chicago)

Shaping Communities

School for Conversion

School for Conversion (Durham, NC)

Multiple Practices

Sharing the Practices

Anathoth Community Garden (Cedar Grove, NC)

Multiple Practices

Sons and Daughters of Abraham:An Interfaith Journey of Hospitality

Steve Jacobsen (Santa Barbara, CA)

Hospitality

Testimony to Inspire Transformation

Word and World (Memphis, TN)

Testimony

TESTIMONY: THE WORDS OF GOD THROUGH THE PEOPLE OF GOD

Valley Forge Ministers Council, ABCUSA (Valley Forge, PA)

Testimony

The Bridge/El Puente

St.Andrews Center (Chattanooga Tennessee)

Multiple Practices

The Campbell Farm Kids

The Campbell Farm (Wapato, WA)

Hospitality

The Nature and Practice of Healing Presence in Healthcare Ministry

SMP Health System (Fargo, ND)

Healing

The Table

First United Methodist Church of St. Cloud (St. Cloud, MN)

Multiple Practices

Urban Ministries: United in Music

NYOS & The Cathedral Basilica of Newark (Newark, NJ)

Singing Our Lives

Welcomed to the Table

Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center (Johnsonburg, New Jersey)

Multiple Practices

Who Is My Neighbor?

SMU Catholic Campus Ministry (Dallas, Texas)

Shaping Communities

Youth Helping God's Voice Be Heard: Choices, Justice, Testimony

Centre Street Congregational Church, UCC (Machias, Maine)

Testimony
Recipients for 2005

Beyond 'Hola!'

Mecklenburg Ministries (Mecklenburg County, North Carolina)

Hospitality

Building Bridges

St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Chicago, Illinois)

Hospitality

Building Multiracial/Multicultural Community Through Music

First Congregational United Church of Christ (Washington, DC)

Singing Our Lives

Caring for All Creation: On the Road, At the Table, In the Home

Earth Ministry (Seattle, WA)

Household Economics

Exploring Food in a Residential Summer Camp

Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center (Johnsonburg, NJ)

Another Practice

Family Space: Considering Asian American Christian Hospitality

Parkwood Community Church (Elmhurst, IL)

Hospitality

Grace Café: Youth Ministry as Formation in the Practice of Breaking Bread

United Methodist Church of Davis (Davis, California)

Another Practice

Heritage, Hospitality and Wholeness: Responding to God's Vision for Us

First Church in Cambridge, Congregational (Cambridge, MA)

Hospitality

Homeless Women Singing Their Lives

Church of Mary Magdalene (Seattle, Washington)

Singing Our Lives

Honoring the Body of Christ: Healing in the Church with AIDS

University Lutheran Assoc. of Greater Boston (Cambridge MA)

Honoring the Body

Just Eating

Cedar Grove UMC (Cedar Grove, NC)

Multiple Practices

Mentors for Ministry

Education+Parish+Service (EPS) (Washington D.C.)

Shaping Communities

Rising Stars and Christian Practices

The House of Peace (Milwaukee, WI)

Multiple Practices

Spiritual Resources for Community Leaders

Holy Ground, Inc. (Asheville, NC)

Shaping Communities

Truth and Reconciliation

Joyce Hollyday (Asheville, NC)

Testimony

Walk With Me - A Prayer Journey

Trinity Lutheran Church (Peoria, IL)

Multiple Practices

Welcome Home Project

Embrace Richmond (Richmond, Virginia)

Hospitality

Wholistic Christian Healing

Parish Nurse Program of Washington Co. Hosp. (Hagerstown, Maryland)

Healing
Recipients for 2004

12 Baskets

Edgewood United Church UCC (East Lansing Michigan)

Multiple Practices

A Book of Practices of the Sisters of Providence

Sisters of Providence (Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN)

Multiple Practices

Breaking Bread Mentor Training

Breaking Bread (Chicago)

Hospitality

Caring for All Creation: On the Road, At the Table, In the Home

Earth Ministry (Seattle, WA)

Household Economics

Discerning the Practices in Durham and Beyond

Iredell House (Durham, NC)

Multiple Practices

ekklesia house

ekklesia project (Evanston, Illinois)

Household Economics

Growing Young Sages

Lexington Christian Academy (Lexington, MA)

Multiple Practices

Happy Birthday Fund

Lutheran Church of Our Savior (San Francisco, CA)

Shaping Communities

Hearts On Pilgrimage Audio-Devotional, Series Two

Covenant Presbyterian Church (Austin, Texas)

Shaping Communities

Keeping Sabbath:Embracing a Way of Life

Strongsville United Church of Christ (Strongsville, Ohio)

Keeping Sabbath

Learning to Choose Peace

Christ the Healer UCC (Portland Oregon)

Saying Yes & Saying No

Lifelong Faith Formation: Changing the Paradigm

Archdiocese of Milwaukee (Milwaukee, Wi)

Multiple Practices

New Monasticism Project

Rutba House/Chapel Hill Mennonite Fellowship (Durham, NC)

Multiple Practices

Orthodox Women Writers' Retreat

Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops (Bourne, MA)

Multiple Practices

Practicing Our Faith for Non-Traditional, Pre-seminary Students

University of Dubuque (Dubuque, IA)

Multiple Practices

Practicing the Promise

United Church of Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

Multiple Practices

Singing Our Lives issue of Christian Reflection & study guides

Center for Christian Ethics (Waco, TX)

Singing Our Lives

Spiritual Practices for United Methodists

Providence UMC (Charlotte, NC)

Multiple Practices

Spiritual Resources for Community Leaders

Holy Ground, Inc. (Asheville, NC)

Shaping Communities

Telling the Story in Song and Word

Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Chesterton, IN)

Testimony

Theological Reflection and Social Action

Dominican University (Chicago, Illinois)

Multiple Practices

Truth and Reconciliation

Joyce Hollyday (Asheville, NC)

Testimony

Uncovering Testimony

Diana Pasulka (Wilmington, North Carolina)

Testimony

Welcoming Our Neighbor

Protestants for the Common Good (Chicago and region, Illinois)

Hospitality

Westminster House Project in Student Leadership Development

Presbyterian University Center (Tallahassee, Florida)

Multiple Practices
Recipients for 2003

Common Art

Ecclesia Ministries, Inc. (Boston, MA)

Hospitality

cultureVision: cultural discernment curriculum

*culture is not optional (Lansing, Illinois)

Multiple Practices

Faith in Place Stewardship Seminars

Faith in Place (Chicago, IL)

Multiple Practices

Get A Life: Summer Camp Curriculum

Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center (Johnsonburg, NJ)

Multiple Practices

HealingSongs

Lutheran Deaconess Conference (Valparaiso, Indiana)

Singing Our Lives

Interfaith Mural Retreat

Archdiocese of Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI)

Multiple Practices

Just American Neighbors

West Michigan Environmental Action Council (Grand Rapids, MI)

Household Economics

Just Eating? Practicing Our Faith at the Table

Advocate Health Care/Church World Service (Chicago)

Multiple Practices

JUST SECOND FRIDAYS

Office of Justice and Peace (Charlotte NC)

Multiple Practices

Leading by Example

Hosea Temple Church (Chicago, Illinois)

Hospitality

Living Fully Even in the Face of Death: A Faith Practicum

Hospice of the Upstate, Inc (Anderson, SC)

Multiple Practices

Opening the Treasure

School Sisters of Notre Dame (Multiple locations)

Household Economics

Practices for Clinical Pastoral Education and Urban Ministry

ACTS Urban Clinical Pastoral Education (Chicago, Illinois)

Multiple Practices

Practicing in the Garden

SE Conference, UCC Youth Ministry (Sequatchie Valley, TN)

Multiple Practices

Real Stories of Christian Initiation: Lessons for and from the RCIA

David Yamane (Notre Dame, Indiana)

Multiple Practices

Shaping Preschool Community

Newbury Center at Union-PSCE (Richmond, Virginia)

Shaping Communities

Solidarity in Service

House of Peace (Milwaukee, WI)

Multiple Practices

Solo Dei Gloria

Lutheran Summer Music Program, Inc (Minneapolis, MN)

Singing Our Lives

Spiritually Focused Continuing Education for Parish Nurses

Washington County Hospital (Hagerstown, Maryland)

Healing

Telling the Truth Out Loud: Women, Girls and The Practice of Testimony

Dr. Dori Grinenko Baker (Altavista, Virginia)

Testimony

Young Adults Practice Faith in a Changing World

Sara Wenger Shenk (Harrisonburg, Virginia)

Multiple Practices
Recipients for 2002

A Season of Discernment

Alabama West Florida Conference (Auburn, AL)

Discernment

Applying Faith Practices in a Residential Camp Setting

Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center (Johnsonburg, NJ)

Multiple Practices

Art-making with writing as spiritual practice

St. Nicholas Church (Evanston, Illinois)

Another Practice

Aslan Thickens Time

Gretchen Erhardt (Kalamazoo, MI)

Shaping Communities

Children Re-Visioning the Table

Glenview United Methodist Church (Glenview, IL)

Multiple Practices

Christian Faith and the Formfulness of Grief

First Baptist Church of Augusta (Augusta, GA)

Dying Well

Deeper Care for the Earth

New Earth Partnership (St. Louis Park, MN)

Household Economics

Developing Child-Specific Faith Practices

Ada Bible Church (Ada, Michigan)

Multiple Practices

Freeing the Imagination: Creativity as Christian Spiritual Practice

San Francisco Theological Seminary (Berkeley, CA)

Another Practice

Interfaith Youth Forum

Archdiocese if Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI)

Shaping Communities

Money & Faith Small Groups: Creating the Movement

Ministry of Money (Germantown, MD)

Shaping Communities

One in the Spirit, One in the Lord

Shades of Praise (New Orleans)

Singing Our Lives

Practicing our Faith in Healthcare Ministry

SMP Health System (1202 Page Drive, South West, Fargo, ND 58102)

Hospitality

Publishing Sabbath Resources

Center for Christian Ethics, Baylor Univ. (Waco, TX)

Keeping Sabbath

Quest

The Crossing Campus Ministry (Madison, WI)

Shaping Communities

READING EXODUS, READING THE STREET

The People's Seminary (Burlington, WA)

Another Practice

Servant Leadership Training Video

The Servant Leadership School of Greensboro (Greensboro, NC)

Shaping Communities

The Body Honors the Body

ABC Ministers Council (Valley Forge, PA)

Honoring the Body

The Discovery of Congregational Identity Through Christian Practice

Mount Tabor United Methodist Church (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

Multiple Practices

The Freshman Initiative

Duke Wesley Fellowship (Durham, NC)

Multiple Practices

The Valparaiso Project at St. Andrews

St. Andrews Presbyterian College (Laurinburg, NC)

Hospitality

The Worshiping Life

Lisa Nichols Hickman (Tucson, Arizona)

Multiple Practices

Transforming Lives through Sharing Faith Stories

St. John's Episcopal Church (Columbus, OH)

Multiple Practices

Urban Suburban Youth Leadership Development for Social Action & Reflection

The Nehemiah Project (Milwaukee, WI)

Shaping Communities

Worshiping Jesus With Drums

St. Stephen AME Church (Hardeeville, South Carolina)

Shaping Communities

Young Adult Volunteers in Mission: Learning and Living Practices Together

St. Mark's Presbyterian Church (Tucson, AZ)

Shaping Communities
Recipients for 2001

Baptismal Practice and the Formation of Christians

First Lutheran Church of the Reformation (New Britain, CT)

Saying Yes & Saying No

Bible-Reading as Faith Practice

Good News Presbyterian Parish (Columbiana, OH)

Testimony

Clergy-in-Residence Project

University Christian Ministries, UW-Milwaukee (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Multiple Practices

Educating for Justice

Romero Center (Camden, NJ)

Multiple Practices

Make Yourself at Home

Mars Hill College (Mars Hill, NC)

Hospitality

Online, Not Sideline: Rural Youth Ministry

Center for Theology and Land (Dubuque, Iowa)

Multiple Practices

Practices for the Pastoral Life

Plymouth Church UCC, Milwaukee, WI (Newburyport, MA)

Multiple Practices

Practicing Our Faith in a Digital Age

Goleta Presbyterian Church (Santa Barbara, CA)

Multiple Practices

Spirituality for the Long Haul

Lutheran Deaconess Association (Valparaiso, IN)

Multiple Practices

Supporting Congregational Health Ministers w/ Prayer & Pastoral Reflection

Wellness Works- Catholic Charities, DC (Washington, DC metro area)

Healing

The Path of Contemplative Dialogue Project

Bread of Life Center for Spiritual Formation (Davis, CA)

Shaping Communities

Trinity Labyrinth Project

Trinity Lutheran Church (Pullman, Washington)

Multiple Practices

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