The Indiana-based private, philanthropic foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc., supports the causes of religion, education and community development. The Endowment's grantmaking in Religion are focused in five areas shown below, each with its own set of orienting questions and initiatives for research and reflection on 21st century American church life. Grants/Projects are grouped by Initiatives.
Grantmaking Areas
View Full Table of Grantmaking Areas
Christian Faith & Life
Orienting Questions
- How can American Christians live, preach & teach the Christian faith in an intellectually, morally & spiritually credible & compelling way?
- How can a new generation of Christians be nurtured in such a faith?
Initiatives
- Christian Faith & Life
- Education & Formation
Congregational Life & Ministry
Orienting Questions
- What makes Christian congregations & parishes communities of vibrant worship & effective ministry?
- How can more of them be such places?
Pastoral Leadership Development
Orienting Questions
- How can a new generation of talented pastors be called, trained & supported in their ministries?
- How can current pastors and leaders be strengthened in their capacities for excellence in ministry?
Supportive Religious Institutions
Orienting Questions
- What organizations beyond the local congregation are essential to sustain vital Christian community & ministry?
- How can they best be kept institutionally strong & focused on their essential mission?
- How can they relate effectively with one another & with other institutions in the larger society?
Public Understanding of Religion
Orienting Questions
- How can key cultural institutions in the U.S. help American Christians and the larger public better understand religion & the role it plays in our lives?
Featured Sites
A Portal to Related Sites' Content: Insights into Religion
Faith & Leadership
Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education
Religion, Culture and Family Project
Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts
Faith & Organizations
African American Lectionary
Fund for Theological Education
Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals
Congregational Resource Guide
Alban Institute
Louisville Institute
Religion Newswriters Association
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
Polis Center
Pluralism Project
Krista Tippett on Being
Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture
Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion
Transition into Ministry
Transforming Christian Leaders
Partners for Sacred Places
National Congregations Study
Faith Communities Today
Center for Congregations
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Way To Live: Christian Practices for Teens
Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People in Faith
Material History of American Religion Project
Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism
Pulpit & Pew: Research on Pastoral Leadership
National Study of Youth & Religion
In Trust Online
Hartford Institute for Religion Research
Association of Theological Schools
American Religion Data Archive
Wabash Center Guide to Internet Resources for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion
What's New
A Festival of Young Preachers
The Festival of Young Preachers is an annual gathering of more than one hundred-twenty young men and women, with major support from the Lilly Endowment and increasing support from numbers of churches, colleges, seminaries, and other Christian organizations. There young Christians who sense the call to preach, many of whom are already in pastoral ministry and others of whom are studying for the vocation, have the opportunity to exercise their calls in a hospitable environment.Read more ....Emerging Scholarship on Youth and Religion: Resources for a New Generation of Youth Ministry
In the mid-twentieth century as the idea solidified of adolescence as a separate life stage with its own unique characteristics and needs, scholars and church leaders began to utilize studies from psychology, sociology, or education to better understand and work with youth. This emerging body of research makes theology, spirituality and faith formation central to such inquiries about youth. Joyce Ann Mercer considers this material particularly where it has significant implications for the practice of youth ministry. This is the third of four articles on research on Youth and Religion funded by the Religion division of the Lilly Endowment.Read more ....Young, Emerging, Lost or Arrested: A Review of Recent Research on Young Adults and Religion
David White surveys a set of recent studies that examine how religion factors into the lives of young Americans age 18 to 23, a group that has come to be known as “emerging adults.” This research provides insight into why one in three “emerging adults” are not affiliated with any religious community. This article is the second of four articles that will appear on this website concerning a research initiative on Youth and Religion that the Religion division of the Lilly Endowment has funded.Read more ....Revitalizing Ministry with Youth and Young Adults
During the last fifteen years, the Lilly Endowment has awarded a series of strategic grants to help pastors and church leaders assess, re-imagine and enhance their ministries for young people. This article provides a broad overview of the findings from these projects that address new discoveries about the religious lives of young people and suggested approaches to ministry with youth and emerging adults. In addition, it offers an extensive bibliography of works on youth and religion broadly and youth ministry in particular.