An Introduction to the Project

An Invitation for Your Parish

Through a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
all services of this Thriving Congregations Initiative are free for participating parishes.

Project Directors: Dr. Tracey Lamont (Loyola) and John Roberto (NCCL)

The Pathways toward a Thriving Parish project will help parishes create their own paths toward a thriving, vital community of faith that is living their mission in today’s world by...

• Equipping a parish leadership team with the knowledge, skills, and practices for creating pathways toward thriving
• Forming leaders and the parish community in the processes of listening and interpreting the needs of the community, and in the spirituality of discernment
• Embracing and discovering the shared vision and mission of the Church, and the gifts, abilities, and resources of the parish community, and equip them as individuals and teams for ministry and service in the parish and in the world

As we journey together over the course of the three-year experience, parishes will be blessed with...

• A profound experience of Church as the people of God, embracing a common mission with love and purpose
• Pastoral accompaniment and training for your leadership team, helping them shepherd the parish as they develop a plan toward a thriving future
• Enriching formation resources to deepen your ability to listen with compassion, understand your community’s needs, and prayerfully discern God’s will
• Inspiring resources and tools to discover the gifts of the parish community
• Practical resources and guidance to create and implement the parish’s pathways toward thriving

Thanks to 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.

COMING SOON