Indianapolis – Lilly Endowment Inc. is launching a national and competitive initiative, the Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative, and invites eligible charitable organizations to apply for grants of up to $1.25 million. These grants may be used for up to a five-year period to establish new and/or enhance existing programs that support congregations as they design intergenerational corporate worship services and prayer practices, which more intentionally and fully engage children and nurture their faith.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is especially interested in supporting programs that help congregations address one or more of the following objectives:
- Strengthening worship and prayer practices that attend to and respect how children experience God and express their faith.
- Enhancing worship and prayer practices that are more fully inclusive of all children, including children with disabilities.
- Drawing more fully on the arts (e.g., music, visual arts, drama, etc.) to enhance the experience of worship and prayer for children.
- Creating opportunities for Bible storytelling that help children hear and tell stories of faith through worship and prayer practices.
- Enhancing worship and prayer practices that more intentionally connect worship with the daily lives of children and their families.
More detailed information about the aim and objectives of this new initiative, as well as eligibility criteria and proposal guidelines, can be found at Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Initiative webpage.
About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic 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. The 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. In addition, 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.