FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ruthie Cristobal
Vice President of Partnership & Communications
[email protected]

DENVER, CO – Global Trust Partners (GTP) has received a $1,250,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Serving the Underserved 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 purpose of the Serving the Underserved Project is to empower Spanish- and Chinese-speaking Americans to help their congregations thrive with proven Christian practices and spiritual and strategic resources despite the social and cultural challenges of living as minorities in an ever-changing times.

The project will advance the aims of the Thriving Congregations Initiative with intentional work in three phases over five years, from 2024 to 2028. Phase 1 involves commissioning research with Spanish- and Chinese-speaking congregations in association with leading Spanish- and Chinese-speaking collaborators worldwide. Phase 2 focuses on creating spiritual and strategic resources in Spanish and Chinese based on the research findings. Phase 3 concentrates on commencing programs to strengthen Spanish- and Chinese-speaking congregations in the USA and abroad.

“Through the Serving the Underserved Project, we at GTP hope to build communities of thriving Spanish- and Chinese-speaking churches in the USA that follow ECFA standards,” said Dr. Gary G. Hoag, GTP President & CEO. “By emphasizing clarity of values and mission with integrity and by forming stewards who engage practices that foster adaptability, we envision thriving minority churches that deepen the Christian faith of congregants with intentionality.”

GTP is one of 105 organizations that has received grants though 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 Dr. 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 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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