Viterbo University Awarded $1.2 Million “Thriving Congregations Initiatives” Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Viterbo has received a $1,221,122 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish the university’s Parish Renewal through Communal Wisdom to Enhance Leadership, Strengthen Ministry, and Serve the Common Good (PATHWAYS) program.
The grant is funded through Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, which aims to strengthen Christian congregations to deepen spiritual relationships, build strong connections with each other, and contribute to the flourishing of local communities and the world.
The PATHWAYS program will be administered through Viterbo’s Center for Professional Learning. It will create educational programming with four main objectives:
- Cultivate Christian practices by increasing congregational learning communities through leadership development
- Increase mission clarity, identity, and congregational advancement through strategic planning, training, and deployment
- Foster communal learning and engagement by creating opportunities for dialogue about significant Christian ideas and practices
- Integrate technology-focused solutions into education and training programs
“This initiative aligns well with Viterbo’s vision to transform communities through service, collaboration, and leadership development,” said Nicole Van Ert, director of Viterbo’s Center for Professional Learning, who wrote the grant application with faculty member Emily Dykman and program coordinator Alycia Larson. “We are grateful to Lilly Endowment for this opportunity to help strengthen ministries and serve the common good. We look forward to bridging the gap between church and academy, adapting Viterbo’s Center for Professional Learning for pastors and other congregational leaders.”
Viterbo University is one of 247 organizations receiving funding through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, which includes a wide range of Christian traditions such as Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Anabaptist, and Pentecostal faith communities.