Organizations that help parents share their Christian faith and values with their children are invited to apply for grants from the Lily Endowment. The endowment will make available grants of up to $1.25 million to assist eligible organizations in designing and implementing programs to help interested parents and caregivers directly or through congregational ministries learn, adapt and embrace time-honored practices to share their faith and values with their children.
Through the initiative, the endowment seeks to support a variety of approaches that are grounded in the theologies of diverse Christian communities. It is especially interested in how organizations could help parents who are seeking guidance on how to better share their faith and religious practices with their children amid daily routines of family life, such as when a family gathers for meals and when a parent sends their child to school each day and tucks them into bed each night.
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The endowment encourages organizations to assist congregations in developing innovative approaches that engage parents in and enhance the experiences of traditional church rituals, such as baptism, first communion and confirmation.
“During the last two years, religious leaders have shared with us how the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the daily lives of children and their families,” said Christopher Coble, the endowment’s vice president for religion. “This experience has prompted for parents many questions about their faith and values, especially as they have sought to respond to spiritual questions raised by their children. Our hope is that this initiative will help congregations and other Christian organizations strengthen ministries that reach and support families and help interested parents and caregivers more confidently nurture the faith of their children.”
Through the Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative, the endowment anticipates awarding approximately 60 grants to eligible organizations that submit the most promising and compelling proposals. The deadline to apply for funding is February 13, 2023, and the endowment expects to announce the grants in summer 2023. More information is available at Christian Parenting Initiative – Lilly Endowment.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice News
