ELCA Receives Lilly Endowment Grant for Children’s Ministry

CHICAGO — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish Curious Christian Children: Reimagining Kids in Worship, a new initiative of the ELCA's Ministry with Children.

The Curious Christian Children: Reimagining Kids in Worship initiative will provide space for the best learning and integration of resources and research to help children and young people feel nurtured and supported within a worship community.

The program is funded through Lilly Endowment's Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative, a national initiative designed to help Christian congregations more fully and intentionally engage children in intergenerational corporate worship and prayer practices.

Curious Christian Children: Reimagining Kids in Worship will support leaders and faith communities that seek to create an inclusive and deeply spiritual space for the youngest of those in the church. Placing intentional emphasis on the needs of children living with disabilities and special needs, and on families of color and those within the LGBTQIA+ community, the initiative will both champion and create effective resources, provide supportive cohort groups for leaders, and share learnings and best practices with the broader church.

"Children's ministries suffered during COVID, and this effort will bring much-needed energy, attention and love to our children and those who care for them, so that they may know the love of Jesus," said Phil Hirsch, executive director, ELCA Christian Community and Leadership. "This initiative will help ensure that the church will be stronger in the years to come."

"Children have a spiritual yearning to be integrated into the worship and prayer lives of our faith communities. I'm excited to guide our denomination in reimagining children's roles in our congregations and seeing what emerges," said the Rev. Janelle Rozek Hooper, grant project director and program manager for Ministry with Children.

"We are extremely grateful for this grant from Lilly Endowment that will provide resources for congregations to support the youngest in their communities, especially those from marginalized communities or those who have special needs, who too often find worship to be a challenging space," said Ed Kay, senior director, ELCA discipleship and inclusive communities.  "Children are not only the future of the church, but they are the church right now. Helping them to grow as disciples and live into the promises made in baptism is at the core of our collective responsibility to be the church and to follow Jesus together."

The ELCA is one of 91 organizations to receive funding through the latest round of the initiative. They represent and serve congregations in a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, including Catholic, mainline Protestant, evangelical, Orthodox, Anabaptist and Pentecostal faith communities. Several organizations are rooted in Black Church and Hispanic and Asian American Christian traditions.

"Congregational worship and prayer play a critical role in the spiritual growth of children and offer settings for children to acquire the language of faith, learn their faith traditions and experience the love of God as part of a supportive community," said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment's vice president for religion. "These programs will help congregations give greater attention to children and how they can more intentionally nurture the faith of children, as well as adults, through worship and prayer."

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