Lilly Endowment Boosts Campus Ministries
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. has announced $4 million in grants to private campus ministry organizations. More than two dozen groups on public campuses throughout the U.S., including Purdue University and Indiana University, received funding. November 17, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Campus ministries across the country are building up programs to help college students explore their deepest values and prepare for meaningful careers. Lilly Endowment Inc. is giving a total of $4 million in grants to 27 private campus ministry organizations working with students at public universities nationwide. The ministries are creating new programs and strengthening existing ones that help students make connections between their academic pursuits and faith commitments . In addition, the programs will encourage students to draw on their religious traditions as they make decisions about their futures.
Projects will develop student leadership, connect them with mentors in their fields of study and future careers, enable them to live together in intentional communities and support international service trips. Some students will engage in internships in congregations and faith-based service organizations and receive support for exploring careers in ministry.
“Campus ministries provide time, space and encouragement for college students to examine their faith and values and reflect on how God is calling them to utilize their gifts and passions to lead lives of meaning and purpose,” said Dr. Christopher L. Coble, vice president for religion at the Endowment. “They play important roles in helping students explore the hopes and dreams they have for their own lives and make sense of their faith while they are preparing for
future careers.”
The campus ministries are part of the Endowment's Campus Ministry Theological Exploration of
Vocation Initiative, which supports vocational discernment programs for college students. The initiative now includes a total of 52 ministries located in 27 states. The participating organizations are rooted in diverse Christian traditions–Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reform, and United Methodist ministries as well as evangelical, nondenominational and ecumenical ministries.
Many ministries are based in congregations. Some are free-standing religious organizations devoted exclusively to reaching university students.
“We have been encouraged by the eagerness of campus ministries to build up programs that
help students know themselves more deeply and tap into the wisdom of their faith traditions as they make life-defining decisions,” Coble said. “These ministries also play important roles in identifying students with spiritual and leadership gifts and encouraging them to become leaders in their churches and faith communities.”
The Campus Ministry Theological Exploration of Vocation Initiative builds on nearly 15 years of strategic support from the Endowment to help prepare students to lead lives of meaning and purpose.
These efforts include the Endowment’s Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation and the Council of Independent College’s Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, which have touched thousands of students at nearly 200 private colleges and universities.
“Campus ministries are well-positioned to provide similar experiences for students at tending
public universities,” Coble said.
All three initiatives bring the Endowment’s total investment in programs to support vocational exploration to $245 million.
Grant recipients of the 2014 round of the Campus Ministry Theological Exploration of Vocation Initiative includes:
All Saints Roman Catholic Newman Center at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Rev. Rob Clements
Baptist Student Foundation at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Rev. Shawn Zambrows
Campus Chapel of Ann Arbor at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Dr. Rolf Bouma
Catholic Newman Center at University of Washington, Seattle WA
Fr. Jordan Bradshaw
Cooper House and Blackburg Presbyterian Church at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Rev. Ginny Taylor-Troutman
ELCA Campus Ministry for Brazos Valley at Texas A& M, College Station, TX
Rev. Mindy Roll
First Presbyterian Church at University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Rev. Dave Pommer
First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley at University of California–Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Rev. Nick van Santen
First Presbyterian Church of Tuscaloosa at University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Rev. James Goodlet
Geneva Campus Church at University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Rev. Michael Winnowski
Geneva Campus Ministry at University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Dr. Edward Laarman
Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Lawrence: Oread Center at University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Rev. Chad Donohoe Holston
Conference United Methodist Church Foundation: Wesley Foundation at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Rev. Tim Kobler and Heather Godsey
Indiana University Christian Student Fellowship at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Rev. Bill Kershner
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship-USA, Madison, WI
Rev. Jim Lundgren
Lutheran Campus Council of Grand Forks at University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
Rev. Kathy Fick and Rev. Chad Brucklacher
Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Rev. Zach Parris
The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO
Mr. Jim Young
Newman Center-Holy Spirit Parish, Honolulu, HI
Fr. Jack Ryan
Presbyterian Campus Ministry at University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Rev. Andy Cooke
United Campus Ministry at University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Rev. Holly Ulmer
United Ministries of Higher Education at Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
Rev. Howard Cavner
Wesley Foundation at Illinois State University, Normal, IL
Rev. Jennie Edwards-Bertrand
Wesley Foundation at Texas Tech, Lubbock, TX
Rev. Al Martin Wesley
Foundation Unit at University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
Rev. David Glenn-Burns
Westminster Foundation at University of West Virginia, Morgantown, WV
Rev. Dr. Shelly Barrick Parsons
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937
by J.K. Lilly and his two sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., with gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical company. The Endowment is primarily committed to the causes of community development, education and religion. Lilly Endowment's religion grantmaking aims primarily to enhance the vitality of American congregations and strengthen the quality of leadership in religious communities. More information can be found at www.lillyendowment.org.
Source: Lilly Endowment Inc.