MARION – Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded two grants totaling $3,214,109 to Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) to support initiatives designed to strengthen ministry with children.
The first grant, totaling $998,397, will fund the Christian Parenting and Caregiving Program. The School of Theology and Ministry at IWU will work with churches and families in Grant County to identify meaningful, realistic ways of doing spiritual formation with children within the home. To do so, the program will curate a combination of resources, family workshops, and various publications pertaining to faith formation in everyday activities.
“We are hoping to see parents and caregivers grow in confidence and skills in knowing how to help their children know and love both God and their neighbor,” said Dr. Amanda Drury, professor of practical theology. “We want to see families operate from the understanding that faith isn’t something that we ‘do’ on Sundays; rather, it’s who we are—and that the person of Jesus Christ affects every single part of our lives and completely changes the way we interact with others.”
The second grant, totaling $2,215,712, will fund the School of Theology and Ministry’s efforts to oversee the Strengthening Ministry with Children Coordination Program. The school will develop and direct the coordination program for fellow Lilly Endowment grant recipients of several child-focused ministry programs, including the Christian Parenting Caregiving Initiative.
The goal of the coordination program is to ensure grant programs flourish and move toward sustainability. This will be done through convening and facilitating relationships, offering resources, and advocating for grantees through coaching and consulting. The coordination program will work alongside each grantee’s program in order to help them achieve goals, address challenges, and disseminate research, resources, and stories.
“We are absolutely thrilled that we get to be a part of amplifying other’s voices,” said Drury, “and are eager to facilitate conversations in order to try to help name where the Holy Spirit might be at work in the lives of children.”
To learn more about the IWU School of Theology and Ministry, visit www.indwes.edu/undergraduate/school-of-theology-and-ministry/.
