Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school had been exploring ways to build infrastructure and capacity to offer online and hybrid offerings to learners not able to be physically present at its Seattle campus. This grant enables the school to move more rapidly into this space and toward becoming not only a local and regional graduate institution but a national one.

鈥淚 am pleased and excited that the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust has agreed to fund our proposal. As you all know, we have been building towards developing our capacity to be online even before the pandemic. By receiving this grant we have the opportunity to increase the personnel we need to be effective and expand our capacity to offer a quality learning experience online,鈥� said , President of 天美视频.

How the school will continue to offer its graduate programs and additional training opportunities will continue to evolve in the coming year, both out of necessity due to the global impact of COVID-19 as seen during its rapid transition to a fully online campus this past March, but also due to the changing needs of learners across the country. A larger number of students enrolled in the school鈥檚 2020 cohort are from out of state, or in some cases out of the country. This necessitates a new way of making courses and content accessible for learners unable to move to the Greater Seattle Area for the time when higher education institutions are able to gather on-campus.

鈥淭he crisis of the pandemic has presented us with unique opportunities to reimagine our how. The what鈥搊ur mission鈥搑emains a steadfast guide as we navigate changes with perseverance and, as these grants demonstrate, with a vote of confidence from others,鈥� said Dr. McNeil.

Over a three-year period, the grant will enable the school to support its faculty and staff as they consciously create hybrid learning spaces that meet the needs of all learners. The grant aims to build the long-term sustainability of the school by increasing student accessibility and developing low-residency graduate, certificate, and other programs.

Reimagining theological education for online spaces is no small feat for a highly-relational institution, but 天美视频 has proven itself able to pivot and adapt with great success, as shown by its record enrollment for Fall 2020. The school is also committed to continuing to build partnerships, both locally and nationally, to foster collaboration as it steps into a new realm of learning.

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The program is funded through Lilly Endowment鈥檚 Thriving Congregations Initiative. The aim of the national initiative is to strengthen Christian congregations so they can help people deepen their relationships with God, build strong relationships with each other, and contribute to the flourishing of local communities and the world.

Lilly Endowment is funding nearly $93 million in grants through the initiative. The grants will support organizations as they work directly with congregations and help them gain clarity about their values and missions, explore and understand better the communities in which they serve, and draw upon their theological traditions as they adapt ministries to meet changing needs.

The funds from this grant will allow the school to expand the work of Resilient Leaders Project to develop a program for congregational development. This program will forge partnerships with and further equip congregational leadership teams to adapt to changing contexts and invest in neighborhood communities in order to mutually thrive. This program aims to equip teams with a defined, replicable process that will align their identity, belonging, and mission in response to ongoing changes in their neighborhood, especially amidst and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Aspects of the program will include hands-on, experiential training through conferences as well as shared learnings through writings, guidebooks, webinars, and instructional videos.

鈥淚 hope that the work we develop through Thriving Congregations will be timely support for congregations looking to respond to the tectonic shifts of our time,鈥� said , Director of Resilient Leaders Project. 鈥淚 hope that through our work together, the school and congregations are transformed in sight and service, seeing one another as a beloved community 鈥� even across difference 鈥� and becoming a people who mend the fragmentation and isolation in our city.鈥�

天美视频 is one of 92 organizations taking part in the initiative. They represent and serve churches in a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, including Anabaptist, Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Reformed, Restoration, Roman Catholic and Orthodox, as well as congregations that describe themselves as nondenominational and evangelical. Several organizations serve congregations in Black, Hispanic and Asian-American traditions.

鈥淚n the midst of a rapidly changing world, Christian congregations are grappling with how they can best carry forward their ministries,鈥� said Christopher Coble, Lilly Endowment鈥檚 Vice President for Religion. 鈥淭hese grants will help congregations assess their ministries and draw on practices in their theological traditions to address new challenges and better nurture the spiritual vitality of the people they serve.鈥�

Lilly Endowment launched the Thriving Congregations Initiative in 2019 as part of its commitment to support efforts that enhance the vitality of Christian congregations.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a 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鈥� wishes, the Endowment exists to support the causes of religion, education and community development. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment鈥檚 grantmaking in religion 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 their pastoral and lay leadership.

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