The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis has received a $1,250,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish Centering All Children In Worship (Centering Children), a new program to enhance worship practices and inclusivity for children in our congregations.
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.
Divided into three elements, the Centering Children initiative will explore creative pathways for arts, music, and inclusive worship practices to build vitality for a new generation. We plan to modernize choral traditions by involving congregational and community partners, engaging children in intergenerational worship, and empowering them to take on leadership roles. We seek to develop sensory-rich approaches, such as collaborative art projects and summer camps, to cater to diverse learning styles and abilities. Through expert guidance, individualized educational plans, and the creation of calming spaces in churches, we aim to ensure inclusivity and support for children with disabilities.
“The Diocese of Indianapolis looks forward to working alongside our congregations and our broader community of musicians, creatives, and faith formation practitioners to both deepen and transform how our churches engage children spiritually and form their faith,” said Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows. “Over the next five years, this transformational grant will allow us to more deeply engage our mission to offer a generous welcome to all ages, races, and socio-economic classes with worship and music that reflects the full breadth and depth of our Anglican tradition.”
The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis is one of 91 organizations 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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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 the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
Christ calls the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis to welcome and witness in central and southern Indiana. Grounded in God’s love in Christ, the Diocese of Indianapolis and its people serve as beacons of Christ in central and southern Indiana and beyond, offer a generous invitation and welcome, stand with the vulnerable and marginalized to transform systems of injustice, connect with other Episcopalians, ecumenical and interfaith partners, and advocacy groups, and develop clergy and laity to lead the church of today and tomorrow. The Diocese of Indianapolis spans the southern two-thirds of Indiana, serving 47 unique congregations and their communities, five college campus ministries, and Waycross Camp and Retreat Center. We serve a highly diverse community, both geographically and racially.
