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We believe in the difference congregations make in the lives of people and communities.

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Church
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Stories of Congregations

There are so many stories of hope from congregations across the nation. The Congregations Project finds and amplifies these true stories of faith, resilience and innovation in congregational life to inspire others.

Stories of congregations
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Get fresh perspective and new ideas from other congregations and their impact through the free monthly newsletter of The Congregations Project.

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Insights

Studying congregations in all of their different contexts and traditions is complex work. The Forum for Congregational Life identifies those doing such research and gathers the findings for the leaders of congregations and their supporters.

Explore the insights & findings

Grants and Awards

Our grants and awards aim to strengthen the capacity of organizational leaders and teams, and to acknowledge the impact of congregational work on the lives of participants and communities.

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Featured Grants

The Forum currently offers two open-application grants.

  • Reflective Leadership Grants

    These grants provide individual leaders, or team of leaders, time to reflect on their services to pastors and congregations in a structured process. Reflective Leadership Grants are open to new applications.

  • Capacity Building Grants

    Capacity Building Grants offer funds to Christian institutions in order to improve or develop organizational capacities as they serve pastors and congregations. This program is not open to new applications at this time.

Publications & Newsletters

Our publications and newsletters resource Christian leaders across traditions by sharing stories of the church’s impact on members and communities.  These articles and essays explore the opportunities and challenges facing congregations today.

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Multi Ethnic Group of friends meet for a Bible Study. Group includes a teenager, young adults, mid-adult and senior adult. Close up of the Bibles.
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Diverse congregation members attend rally to end racism
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Coordination Programs

The Forum hosts three coordination programs for Lilly Endowment Inc. grantees: Thriving in Ministry, Thriving Congregations, and Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns. Each coordination program forms learning communities of grantees to support the implementation of their projects. Our activities include hosting conferences and  workshops, building community, sharing resources, telling stories and consulting with project leaders. These programs are not open to new applications.