Lilly Endowment Investing in 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. will award nearly $3 million to faith-based college campus organizations. Close to two dozen groups throughout the country will benefit from the Campus Ministry Theological Exploration of Vocation funds, including five in Indiana. November 26, 2013
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Lilly Endowment Inc. will award $2.9M to 21 campus ministry organizations to enable hundreds of students at public universities across the United States to participate in life-shaping experiences. These experiences will help students draw on their faith commitments as they make choices about their future careers and encourage those students with spiritual and leadership gifts to explore potential calls to Christian ministry.
For more than 15 years, the Endowment has pursued strategic initiatives that help cultivate a new generation of Christian leaders. These efforts, which include the Endowment's Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation and the Council of Independent College’s Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, have helped thousands of students at more than 175 church-related schools renew their commitments to their faith and encouraged them to follow calls into many forms of Christian ministry and service.
The Campus Ministry Theological Exploration of Vocation (CMTEV) initiative builds on this work by enabling campus ministry organizations at public universities to develop and expand their vocational discernment programs. Student program activities will include leadership development, peer minister training, seminars connecting faith and professional careers, mentoring, national and international mission trips, internships at partner churches, and vocational discernment retreats.
“It is vital for young people to have the time, space, and encouragement to explore questions about their faith and draw on the wisdom from their religious traditions as they make decisions about their future careers,” said Christopher L. Coble, the Endowment's vice president for religion. “Campus ministry organizations are incredibly well-positioned to help college students develop as Christian leaders and discern whether they are called to ministry and service.
“We have been encouraged by the eagerness of campus ministries to build up programs that help students explore vocations in Christian ministry and service. This initiative will enable campus ministry organizations to play a more prominent role in identifying and nurturing a new generation of talented religious leaders for church and society,” Coble said.
The Endowment piloted the CMTEV initiative in 2012 by awarding grants to five campus ministry organizations. Based on the success of those programs, additional campus ministries were invited to apply for grants of up to $100,000.
The Endowment also has awarded a grant to the Fund for Theological Education to convene campus ministry teams annually for mutual learning and support and to develop virtual ways for campus ministries to share resources and information.
Grant recipients from the 2012 pilot and expanded invitational initiative include:
Chesterton House at Cornell University (2012)
Ithaca, N.Y.
$100,000
Christian Student Foundation at Ball State University
Muncie, Ind.
$100,000
Christian Study Center of Gainesville at University of Florida
Gainesville, Fla.
$100,000
Cooperative Christian Ministry in Higher Education at University of North Carolina
Charlotte, N.C.
$100,000
Ecumenical Campus Ministry at Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kan.
$100,000
Gator Wesley Foundation at University of Florida (2012)
Gainesville, Fla.
$100,000
Hill House Ministries at University of Texas
Austin, Texas
$100,000
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at University of North Carolina (2012)
Chapel Hill, N.C.
$100,000
Lutheran Campus Ministry at University of Arizona
Tucson, Ariz.
$100,000
Lutheran Campus Ministry – Twin Cities at University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minn.
$100,000
Nebraska Lutheran Campus Ministry at University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Neb.
$100,000
Purdue Christian Campus House at Purdue University
West Lafayette, Ind.
$100,000
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at University of Kansas (2012)
Lawrence, Kan.
$100,000
St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
$100,000
St. Paul Catholic Center at Indiana University
Bloomington, Ind.
$98,055
St. Paul University Catholic Foundation at University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wis.
$76,025
St. Thomas Aquinas at Purdue University
West Lafayette, Ind.
$100,000
State College Presbyterian Church at Pennsylvania State University
State College, Pa.
$45,000
Synod of Lakes and Prairies on behalf of Pres. House at University of Wisconsin (2012)
Madison, Wis.
$100,000
University Christian Ministries at University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Va.
$100,000
University Lutheran Church at Clemson University
Clemson, S.C.
$100,000
University Presbyterian Church at University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, N.C.
$100,000
University Presbyterian Church at University of Washington
Seattle, Wash.
$100,000
Virginia State University Foundation at Virginia State University
Virginia State University, Va.
$100,000
Wesley Foundation at Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College
Tallahassee, Fla.
$100,000
West Central Baptist Association at Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Ind.
$100,000
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family – J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli – through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. The Endowment exists to support the causes of religion, education and community development. Lilly Endowment's religion grantmaking is designed to deepen and enrich the religious lives of American Christians. It does this largely through initiatives to enhance and sustain the quality of ministry in American congregations and parishes. More information can be found at www.lillyendowment.org.
Source: Lilly Endowment Inc.