The Religion INFO (Training, Innovation and Formation) workforce of the United Church of Christ is increasing its give attention to among the youngest within the denomination.

A grant of $1.25 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. will assist to make this doable.

Carrying on the spirit of the denomination’s Three Nice Loves marketing campaign, launched in 2017, Religion INFO is honing in on the “love of youngsters,” mentioned the Rev. Trayce Potter, who serves because the UCC minister of youth and younger grownup engagement. Her place is shifting to embody kids and youth, with a brand new emphasis on ages delivery via 12.

‘A greater world for our youngsters’

A few of this focus has developed from what Potter describes as “an excellent want” popping out of the COVID pandemic, the place “one of many issues we’ve been listening to on the Religion INFO workforce is that individuals who’ve been doing kids and youth ministry can really feel like they’ve been out right here by themselves.”

It’s additionally a option to acknowledge that religion formation begins a lot sooner than age 12 — an age that’s usually thought-about mature sufficient for affirmation and baptism. “If Jesus was ready to show within the temple at 12, the formation of his religion needed to start in early childhood,” the grant proposal says.

“I imagine that the UCC is certainly one of few establishments that actually can create a greater world for our youngsters,” Potter mentioned. “So ready till they’re in sixth grade to begin that work, you’ve misplaced lots of years. Now we’re saying we’re dedicated to do that work from delivery, and I believe that units us other than lots of different denominations.

“Not solely are we saying it, however we now have the sources to create packages and curriculum, and to essentially spend money on our congregations in order that they’ll do the hands-on work.”

‘Our youngest siblings’

The grant from Lilly Endowment follows an invite for the UCC to use for its Nurturing Kids By Worship and Prayer Initiative. The intention of the nationwide initiative is to help faith-based organizations as they assist kids develop in religion and deepen their relationships with God.

“We’re deeply grateful and excited that Lilly Endowment has taken discover of the constant efforts of the Religion Training, Innovation and Formation workforce of the Nationwide Setting to supply sources and experiences towards the religious improvement of our youngest siblings,” mentioned Affiliate Common Minister of Justice and Native Church Ministries the Rev. Traci Blackmon.

“We stay up for partaking extra deeply this work in collaboration with our native church buildings and communities of praxis.”

Baby-centered church buildings

The denomination is searching for to create cohorts and areas for native youth staff to experiment with methodologies and be taught collectively towards constructing intergenerational church areas the place younger kids are integral contributors. Grant funds will help growing revolutionary and experiential studying instruments and curricula for younger kids throughout the spectrum of bodily and psychological talents.

Very like church buildings at the moment could be designated as WISE for psychological well being help, Open and Affirming for LGBTQ inclusion or Creation Justice church buildings, the UCC plans to construct sources and networks that might help a designation of child-centered church buildings.

“The hope is to revamp kids’s ministry for the denomination,” Potter mentioned. “We’re taking a look at doing this via a sequence of webinars, via trainings, via redesigning worship areas within the native church buildings. And it will result in a brand new designation of church buildings that might be acknowledged by the denomination saying that you simply’ve executed the exhausting work and are totally dedicated to how younger individuals develop.”

Laying groundwork

Religion INFO desires to construct an image of how UCC congregations already middle kids.

So the workforce has deliberate a sequence of surveys for congregations to share how children are at the moment engaged in worship, what curriculum and sources are getting used, and what’s working and what isn’t. An preliminary spherical of questions was included with 2023 yearbook reviews collected earlier this 12 months.

Extra methods to collect suggestions are deliberate for the approaching months.

Potter encourages congregations to finish surveys as they obtain them. These may even assist to determine native church leaders for small cohorts and “studying labs” the place they’ll share information and create extra intentional worship practices that embody and nurture kids.

Nurturing kids

Lilly Endowment launched the Nurturing Kids initiative in 2022 as a part of its dedication to help efforts that strengthen the spiritual training and formation of youngsters and improve the vitality of Christian congregations.

The UCC’s Native Church Ministries is certainly one of 26 organizations collaborating in Lilly’s initiative. They signify and serve congregations in a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, together with mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Pentecostal, Black church, Hispanic and Asian traditions. Many organizations additionally serve church buildings that describe themselves as nondenominational, ecumenical and multi-denominational.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a personal philanthropic basis created in 1937 by J.Okay. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.Okay. Jr. via items of inventory of their pharmaceutical enterprise, Eli Lilly and Firm. Whereas these items stay the monetary bedrock of the Endowment, it’s a separate entity from the corporate, with a definite governing board, workers and site. In step with the founders’ needs, the Endowment helps the causes of neighborhood improvement, training and faith and maintains a particular dedication to its hometown, Indianapolis, and residential state, Indiana.

The principal intention of the Endowment’s faith grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the US, primarily by searching for out and supporting efforts that improve the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay management of Christian communities. The Endowment additionally seeks to enhance public understanding of numerous spiritual traditions by supporting honest and correct portrayals of the position faith performs in the US and throughout the globe.

Content material on ucc.org is copyrighted by the Nationwide Setting of the United Church of Christ and could also be solely shared in response to the rules outlined right here.