Church Building & Loan Fund receives $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment

The United Church of Christ Church Building and Loan Fund (CB&LF) has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Transform Church-Transform Community 2.0 project (TC2).

The project, which is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, will convene 50 congregations from marginalized communities (inclusive of both the United Church of Christ and other Christian traditions) to explore what it means to be a church today. Under CB&LF’s guidance, they will identify ways to align theology and mission with societal changes in a post pandemic environment. Ultimately, TC2 will deepen the congregations’ relationships with God, enhance their connections with each other, and contribute to the vitality
of their communities and the world.

‘God’s new thing’

“Contrary to the prevailing narrative of decline, there has always been a remnant of congregations and church leaders who see glimpses of God’s new thing,” says Rev. Dr. Patrick G. Duggan, CB&LF’s Executive Director. “Our hope and expectation is that TC2 will turn those glimpses into full-blown visions that ultimately lead to a new generation of transformative ministries that will engage and uplift the communities they serve.”

The United Church of Christ Church Building and Loan Fund is one of 105 organizations that has received grants through a competitive round of the Thriving Congregations Initiative. Reflecting a wide variety of Christian traditions, the organizations represent mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox, peace church and Pentecostal faith communities.

“Congregations play an essential role in deepening the faith of individuals and contributing to the vitality of communities,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “We hope that these programs will nurture the vibrancy and spark the creativity of congregations, helping them imagine new ways to share God’s love in their communities and across the globe.”

For questions about TC2 or other CB&LF programs, call Melina Higbee at (216) 736-3817 or email her at higbeem@ucc.org.

About CB&LF

The vision of CB&LF is to re-invent the concept of “church” by equipping church leaders to advance the Gospel mission through innovative uses of buildings and space created through unique partnerships, inventive church operating models, revenue-generating, faith-driven enterprises and the application of impact-driven metrics. We seek to create a just world for all as we dramatically increase economic, social, environmental and spiritual vitality, especially in neighborhoods across the United States where poverty obstructs abundant life for all people.

CB&LF works exclusively with churches and church organizations that own or want to own real estate with the intention that through worship, service, or other community enhancing, people-edifying and God-glorifying activity, the property will be dedicated to the advancement of the mission of Jesus Christ, explicitly and implicitly described in the New Testament as the Gospel.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private 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. A 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.

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