Poised to revitalize the landscape of children’s liturgical formation, Samford University’s Center for Worship and the Arts has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. This funding will breathe life into a new program, Animating Young Worshipers: Strengthening Worship-Shaped Ministry with Children.
A Vision for the Future of Worship
“Imagine a world where even our youngest disciples are empowered as agents of transformation in their worshiping communities,” says Emily Andrews, executive director of the Center. “That’s the future we’re building with this program.”
Now entering its 12th year, the Center has long been a hub for worship practitioners, emerging leaders and teacher-scholars. With this new initiative, the Center will widen its impact on the local church.
Collaborative Innovation
At the heart of this ambitious project lies a unique interdisciplinary approach. Faculty Fellows and Student Residents from Samford’s School of the Arts, School of Education, and Howard College of Arts and Sciences will join forces to equip individual congregations with innovative resources and strategies to strengthen intergenerational approaches to ministry with the youngest of disciples.
What’s more, the program is set to break new ground in accessibility and inclusion, offering a range of development opportunities for ministry leaders and volunteers through online, hybrid and in-person formats.
‘Monday Songs’: Bridging the Gap Between Sunday and Everyday Life
One of the most exciting aspects of this initiative is the creation of an original album titled “Monday Songs”
“We’re crafting a sonic bridge that connects Sunday worship with the daily lives of children and families,” says Nelson Cowan, director of the Center.
This innovative project will bring together industry professionals and Samford’s own students, faculty and staff, promising a unique blend of expertise and fresh perspectives.
A Timely Investment in Faith Formation
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.
“We’re not in the business of quick-fixes or surface-level adjustments to ministry with children,” Cowan says. “We’re investing in the spiritual foundations of our youngest disciples, ensuring that their faith isn’t reduced to a Sunday touchpoint, but a vibrant, living part of their everyday lives.”
Join the Movement
As one of 91 organizations chosen for this transformative initiative, Samford University’s Center for Worship and the Arts is at the forefront of a diverse, nationwide movement. The initiative represents and serves 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, 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.”
“This isn’t just a program,” Andrews says. “It’s a revitalization in how we approach children’s liturgical formation. We’re not waiting for adolescence—we’re planting the seeds of sticky faith right now, and we can’t wait to see how they bloom.”
With this visionary program, Samford’s Center for Worship and the Arts is set to extend its position as a nationally recognized hub for research and resources on worship, theology, and the arts—one song, one prayer, and one young worshiper at a time.
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.
