The Christian Church in Indiana is pleased to announce the receipt of a $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. in their Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative. The Region’s application for this competitive grant was approved this summer and will support the launch of quest: A Journey of Faith.
This new initiative of the Commission on Faith Formation is designed to work alongside congregations to equip, support, and empower parents and caregivers as they model and develop their faith with their children. quest will provide parents and caregivers around the Indiana Region guidance as they navigate the challenges of raising children in the Christian faith today.
quest is intended to address the current challenges of faith formation, recognizing that much of children’s spiritual development is happening at home. The program was developed through conversations with parents and pastors around the region. quest will address the primary concerns of parents being time and feeling ill-equipped to teach their children about their faith. The program will also address the needs of the congregation, providing monetary and liturgical resources to help connect with the families in their churches. quest will also provide engaging materials for each child in the program.
Planning for the launch of quest will begin this fall with the first unit being offered to Disciples families in the spring of 2024. The five-year program will be built around the fruit of the Spirit found in
Galatians 5:22-23. Galatians says, “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against
such things” (NRSVUE). Each of the nine attributes of the fruit of the Spirit will be explored in
the context of the Bible, culture, and family life.
We celebrate this new opportunity for our families and congregations made possible by the generous grant of the Lilly Endowment Inc., and look forward to inviting Indiana Disciples on this quest.