The Center for Congregational Resources has received a grant of $5 million—the largest single grant in the university’s 183-year history—from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative. The grant will support the Center’s work which provides services to help congregations become thriving ministries. The aim of Lilly Endowment’s initiative is to provide resources to help churches in rural areas and small towns enhance the vitality of their ministries and strengthen the leadership of the pastors and lay leaders who guide them.
The CCR has developed the Equipping the Called Leadership Program to help Christian churches cultivate the spiritual formation of congregants and function as anchor institutions that strengthen their local communities. The primary aim and objectives of the program additionally include equipping congregations to extend hospitality to their neighbors, and to function as anchor institutions that strengthen their local communities. This program will address these aims and objectives by:
- Providing training and support for ordained and lay leadership
- Helping congregations to identify and respond to the challenges and opportunities within their congregations and in their local communities
- Equipping rural and small-town churches to serve as anchor institutions and to build collaborations with other organizations in their communities.
The Equipping the Called Leadership Program is a six-month, self-paced, online course designed specifically for clergy and lay leaders serving in rural areas and small-town churches. Grounded in thinking and theological insights, the program equips leaders with the practical tools to nurture spiritual formation, strengthen key relationship, and foster lasting community impact. The content for this program has been developed in partnership with the Alabama Center for Pastoral Resilience.
This six-month online course will be offered starting September of 2025, with a second cohort beginning in September of 2026. The course is free for participants but has limited capacity. To be considered for participation, please complete this interest form.
