FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grant Funding Awarded for The Better Together Project from the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative
Grand Rapids, MI - February 1, 2024 —
Calvin Christian Reformed Church, in partnership with Better Together, is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a significant grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of the Thriving Congregations Initiative. The grant will support the implementation of The Better Together Project (TBTP), a visionary initiative to enhance the vitality of Christian congregations by creating networks of churches that are committed to build the capacities necessary to live out their ministries in ways that transcend the polarities that divide us and help us serve again as sources of healing and hope.
The Lilly Endowment's Thriving Congregations Initiative stated aim is to encourage the flourishing of congregations by helping them deepen their relationships with God, enhance their connections with each other, and contribute to the vitality of their communities and the world.
TBTP is designed to build a “centered-set network” of churches that focus on a common mission of becoming Christ-followers rather than a “bounded-set” that defines itself in terms of doctrines that determine who is “in” and who is “outside” its bounds. This will be accomplished by the following initiatives:
1. Creation of cohorts of churches: TBTP plans to establish seven or more regional cohorts of churches across the U.S. Each cohort, led by a key partner church, will consist of approximately seven congregations committed to a three-year program. Churches will commit to building unity within and across congregations, contributing to a new or expanded cooperative expression of mission in their region.
2. Monthly meetings of leaders in each hub: After organizing regional hubs with participating churches, the principal leaders will engage in monthly, highly relational cohorts in each hub. These gatherings aim to foster intentional dialogue, counter polarities, and build relationships through story-sharing. Over time, the leaders will deepen their engagement, sharing struggles, failures, and successes in promoting unity within their congregations. Led initially by the convening church leader and a TBTP trainer/coach, these gatherings will evolve into planning sessions for specific missional projects, supported by local coaches, ultimately modeling a healing approach to unity and mission in congregations and communities..
3. Annual Summit Retreats: Annual Summit Retreats, facilitated by Cultivate Renewal, will unite leaders from all participating churches in different U.S. regions. The first, on the East Coast in October of 2024, focuses on equipping leaders for unity, including reflection on past efforts and building deeper relationships within their hubs.
4. Colossian Forum training for congregational teams: While these three Summit Retreats will provide the opportunity for leaders to engage with one another and build collegiality within their hubs and across the national network, TBTP will also equip their congregational teams with two training sessions designed by The Colossian Forum (TCF). The first offered will be TCF’s WayFinder training, while the second will be a virtue-cultivation retreat.
5. Launching new missional projects in each region: The vision of TBTP is to use annual Summit Retreats, WayFinder training, virtue-cultivation retreats, and monthly capacity-building gatherings in each local hub to equip each group of churches to develop a new mission project for their unique context.
Rev. Nate DeJong-McCarron, Interim Program Director for TBTP, expressed gratitude for Lilly Endowment's support, stating, "We're honored to receive a grant from Lilly Endowment for The Better Together Project. This initiative reflects our commitment to creating a connected network of churches, transcending divisions and serving as sources of healing and hope.”
This grant represents one of 105 grants awarded through a competitive round of the Thriving Congregations Initiative. Reflecting a wide variety of Christian traditions, the organizations represent mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, peace church and Pentecostal faith communities.
“Congregations play an essential role in deepening the faith of individuals and contributing to the vitality of communities,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “We hope that these programs will nurture the vibrancy and spark the creativity of congregations, helping them imagine new ways to share God’s love in their communities and across the globe.”
The Better Together Project is set to launch in March 2024. Stay tuned for ongoing updates on the implementation process, which will be posted regularly on the website BetterTogether.Church.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Participating churches and pastors will join a network of peers who will provide support and encouragement. Supported by the staff at TBTP, subject matter experts, and coaches each participating congregation will be equipped in leadership, skill, and virtue development.
As they participate in the key activities over a 3 year period they will be better equipped to adapt to our changing social and cultural contexts, clarify their values and mission, and cultivate the Christian practices that deepen the faith of their members.
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While TBTP originates out of a particular denomination (the Christian Reformed Church of North America), participation in TBTP is not limited to Christian Reformed Churches. In fact, TBTP will be best served with a diverse variety of congregations as participating churches. In selecting participating churches priority will be given to churches that are proximate to each other so as to promote partnership and collegiality (a virtual hub(s) is a distinct possibility as well).
Finally, it is worth noting that while TBTP is not designed to replace denominational ties, these networks may serve as helpful third-space environments for congregations desiring to live more fully into a center-set posture with other partner churches.
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In gratitude for the generous support of the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, we are excited to offer participation to congregations at a minimal cost.
Each participating congregation will receive training, coaching, and retreats valued at more than $15,000 over the 3 year term of the project. While the total cost for TBTP for each participating church is approximately $30,000 over the entire project, each participating congregation will commit to provide a minimum annual contribution of $2,000 (totaling $6,000 over the 3 years of the project).
We recognize that some participating congregations may be able to provide additional support for the project. Therefore, while $2,000 is the minimum contribution, the suggested annual contribution for each participating congregation is $5,000. These additional funds will allow for scholarship support for congregations who may feel restricted due to financial costs and provide for the future sustainability of our work.
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If you are interested in learning more or if you’d like to explore becoming a participating congregation, please fill out the form found found by way of the link above.
We’d love to welcome you in joining us as we strive to build Christ centered unity for the sake of Gospel mission!
For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
Rev. Nate DeJong-McCarron
Interim Program Director
Nate@BetterTogether.Church
BetterTogether.Church
About the Lilly Endowment:
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private 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. A 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.