GROW Center

IWS graduates are serving as worship leaders, pastors, missionaries, and college professors, ministering in over 90 denominations and 30 different nations. The IWS community impacts tens of millions of people around the globe each week by facilitating spiritual transformation through worship renewal and education.

Students and Alumni at River

Global Renewal of Worship (GROW) Center

IWS is positioned as a leading advocate for worship renewal around the globe. Our alumni serve as pastors, professors, worship leaders and missionaries throughout North America and abroad, and 25% of IWS’ total enrollment live and minister in the global community outside the US. IWS founder Bob Webber strategized the recruitment to IWS of key global leaders who would use their IWS education to establish indigenous worship institutes in their own contexts. To implement Robert Webber’s global vision, the IWS Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the GROW (Global Renewal of Worship) Center for worldwide extension of the IWS mission, with plans that include:

  • Spreading around the world the much-needed teaching on the biblical, historical and theological sensibilities that underlie Christian worship and worship renewal.
  • Connecting with global partners, including theological institutions, mission organizations and church planting initiatives in advocacy for worship renewal.
  • Identifying key high potential students from non-American contexts and from American immigrant communities who can propagate worship renewal in their own contexts.
  • Raising the profile of mission “study abroad” opportunities, internships, and co-curricular class projects and/or theses.
  • Providing support, resources, direction and networking opportunities for the specific and unique needs of the 25% of IWS students who are internationals or immigrants.
  • Hosting conferences and roundtables on global worship renewal.

GROW Center Leadership

Dr. Frank Fortunato, Director
Missionary with Operation Mobilization

Dr. Nancy Nethercott, Co-Director
Missionary with Faith and Learning International

Dr. Jim Hart
President of the Institute for Worship Studies

All have been seconded by their agencies to provide leadership for the GROW Center.

Contact the GROW Center

Email: grow@iws.edu or just complete the form below ↴

Advisory Council

  • Dr. Glenn Collard; career missionary in Europe
  • Dr. Robin Harris; International Council of Ethnodoxologists
  • Dr. C. Michael Hawn; Distinguished Professor of Church Music
  • Dr. James Krabill; Mennonite Mission Network
  • Dr. Ron Man; Director of Worship Resources International
  • Paul Neeley; career music missionary with Artists in Christian Testimony
  • Dr. K. Rajendran; World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission
  • Dr. Alan Rathe; DWS 701 professor & Pastor of the English-speaking congregation of the Chinese Alliance Church of Westchester
  • Dr. John Witvliet; Calvin Institute for Christian Worship