PPC will use the grant to develop ‘Worship for the Whole People of God,’ helping congregations to engage children in intergenerational worship and prayer
by Presbyterian Publishing Corporation | Special to Presbyterian News Service
Photo by Zach Lucero via Unsplash
The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish a program called “Worship for the Whole People of God.” A variety of new resources will be created to help congregations as they engage children in intergenerational corporate worship and prayer practices. The program is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative.
PPC’s Worship for the Whole People of God program will involve several publishing projects, including children’s books, intergenerational worship plans, and a video series to help churches consider the various aspects of making worship meaningful for all participants. With this grant PPC intends to provide church leaders with an intergenerational worship resource with practical suggestions for preaching, prayer, song, art, drama, and worship space. PPC will work with church partners, experts, and practitioners through consultations, focus groups, and a pilot program, and will use this research to create resources for intergenerational worship that will help children fully participate in worship and develop prayer practices to sustain a lifelong faith.
David Dobson
“We are honored by the trust that Lilly Endowment has put in us to further this initiative,” said David Dobson, PPC president and publisher. “We are excited about this opportunity to strengthen the bonds of faith in the children of the church. There has never been a more opportune time to help children grow in their understanding of God, church, worship, and their place in the life of faith.”
The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation is one of 91 organizations funded through the latest round of the initiative. Other organizations 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.”
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.
About Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
PPC is an agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is the official publisher of the denomination. It consists of the Westminster John Knox Press imprint, one of the most respected religion publishers in the country; Flyaway Books, a line of children’s books that promote faith, help children understand the world around them, and teach compassion and kindness; and Growing Faith Resources, the curriculum imprint of the organization.
You may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.