Aims to encourage the flourishing of congregations
NORCROSS, GA — TMS Global has received a $1,249,516 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Immerse Project.
The project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to encourage the flourishing of congregations by helping them deepen their relationships with God, enhance their connections with each other, and contribute to the vitality of their communities and the world.
The Immerse Project equips congregations to recognize the social change happening around them, to clarify their vision and mission, and to engage in their communities. When the church’s vision and passion intersect with the needs of the community, the mission of the church is vital and alive, and draws the congregation into relationship with members of the community in a way that reflects the church’s values. Ultimately, we desire to see congregations connected in mission for greater community impact.
TMS Global 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.”
About TMS Global
TMS Global originally launched as The Mission Society for United Methodists. Now interdenominational (and with a new name), TMS Global has been sending people around the world to spread the love and message of Jesus since 1984. In that time, it has trained, mobilized, and served hundreds of cross-cultural witnesses. Currently, more than 140 serve in 29 countries around the world. Thousands of people have been introduced to Jesus and discipled in their faith. Churches in the US and abroad have embraced God’s plan for their congregations and reached out to their communities, nation, and the world with the hope of Christ. Learn more at tms-global.org.
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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