Press Release: Lilly Endowment Grant Awarded to ANW
Press Release - January 3, 2024
The Alliance Northwest has received a $1,250,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish a Revitalization Pathway for plateaued and declining C&MA churches in our region.
The project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. The aim of the initiative to encourage the flourishing of congregations by helping them deepen their relationships with God, enhance their connections with each other, and contribute to the vitality of their communities and the world.
We are pioneering a Revitalization Pathway to catalyze congregational renewal. This Revitalization Pathway includes the expansion of PEAK, the launch of Innovative Mission Symposiums, a Deeper Life Academy, and a Spiritual Pilgrimage to New York City, the birthplace of the Alliance.
Director of Church Revitalization, Steve Fowler, writes, “In order to lead a mission that incarnates the gospel, a church must be deeply connected to its community, and, at the same time, nurture a deep spiritual connection to Jesus. This is a crucial element of church revitalization that is frequently overlooked. It is also core to the C&MA’s foundational belief that the deeper the life of Jesus is planted in the soul of a believer, the more powerfully the ministry of Christ will flow through them. This Revitalization Pathway purposes to address this important need on an individual and collective level.”
The Alliance Northwest is one of 105 organizations that has received grants though a competitive round of the Thriving Congregations Initiative. Reflecting a wide variety of Christian traditions, the organizations represent mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, peace church and Pentecostal faith communities.
“Congregations play an essential role in deepening the faith of individuals and contributing to the vitality of communities,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “We hope that these programs will nurture the vibrancy and spark the creativity of congregations, helping them imagine new ways to share God’s love in their communities and across the globe.”
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.
Author: Steve Fowler - January 2024