Bethel University awarded $1.3M Lilly Endowment grant
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Bethel University has received a nearly $1.3 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish a collaborative effort among local congregations to help children grow in their faith.
Through what the university is calling its Nurturing Childhood Faith Through the Arts program, Bethel and church leaders will develop programming for children, distribute local grants to support such efforts, and provide workshops and seminars for ministry leaders.
The $1,245,748 grant comes through Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative.
“This generous gift by Lilly Endowment represents an exciting opportunity for Bethel to support the local church and to help raise up a new generation of leaders,” Stephen Martin, chair of music and theater and associate professor of music, said in a news release.
Bethel is one of 170 organizations nationwide funded through three rounds of the Lilly initiative, which was launched in 2022. In 2023 Lilly awarded grants to 32 organizations and last year awarded grants to 91 organizations.
This year 47 organizations received more than $57 million grants. Other Indiana organizations to receive funds were the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend ($1,250,000), Heartland Church in Fishers ($1,250,000) and Mennonite Health Services in Goshen ($1,249,800).