If We Had A Million Dollars… wait, we do!
What?! Read on, my friend! Remember this guy? And our Listening Sessions from early 2025?
Well, we listened… you shared… and someone else listened to us both. The Lilly Endowment!
I’ve been wanting to share this news with you for a while now. I’ve been bursting to tell you!
You know how I keep saying "you are not alone"? How the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Knox College exists because we believe no ministry leader should face their calling in isolation?
Well, here's what happens when other people start believing that too.
Knox College’s Centre for Lifelong Learning aka Ministry Forum has received a grant of $999,464 USD from the Lilly Endowment Inc.
I'll let that sink in for a moment.
(Oh, and if you are getting your abaci out - that works out to about $1.4 Million Canadian Dollars!!!)
This funding comes through Lilly Endowment's Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which is designed to help theological schools strengthen their capacity to prepare and support pastoral leaders — both now and into the future. Knox College is one of 163 theological schools across the U.S. and Canada that have received grants since 2021. That's humbling company to be in.
So what does this actually mean for you?
It means the Centre can now put real resources behind the things we've been dreaming about together. Remember those listening sessions we held earlier this year? The conversations about burnout, isolation, and the very real challenges you face in ministry? Those weren't just exercises. They shaped everything we're about to do over the next five years.
This funding is an investment in YOU - ministry leaders:
Over the next five years, we will be bringing life to four amazing initiatives:
Improving Congregational Virtual Front Porches — We heard you loud and clear. You don't need another webinar about digital ministry (well, maybe you do!) But some of you will be partnering with us as we help you think seriously about your digital presence. This tangible support may result in a redesign of your website, an invitation to consider the world of Google Ad Grants, and help you discern how your congregation’s mission and ministry may be exactly what people are searching online for. A multi-year pilot will serve selected churches while developing resources for the broader community.
Prayer and Bible Study Accompaniment — Creating comprehensive resources that support individual spiritual growth and congregational engagement. Bible studies in multiple formats. Workshops. Retreats. E-learning resources. Because ministry leaders deserve to be fed too.
Listening Partner Support Network — Trained mentors providing confidential spaces for ministry leaders - individuals and teams - to process challenges and discern next steps. Trauma-informed. Supportive. The kind of relationship where you can say what you actually need to say.
Communities of Practice for Next Generation Leaders — Safe networking environments and professional development for leaders in next generation ministries who often experience structural marginalization and professional isolation. You're doing vital work. It's time someone created space for you to not feel so alone in it.
Our Principal, The Rev. Dr. Ernest van Eck, put it this way: "This grant allows Knox College to stand alongside pastoral leaders in ways that are both practical and profoundly spiritual. By providing mentorship, resources, and networks for growth, we hope to nurture leaders who are confident, resilient, and connected — so that no one in ministry ever walks their calling alone."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
The Centre's mission has always been clear: no ministry leader should face the joys and challenges of Christ's calling alone. These funds enable us to actually live that out — to provide you, your congregations, and your ministry contexts with the tangible supports, resources, and accompaniment you need to flourish.
More details are coming. We'll be sharing opportunities to participate as these initiatives unfold. For now, I just wanted you to know: we are excited to be partnering with you to build something significant. Something sustainable. Something that might actually make a difference in the daily reality of ministry leadership in Canada.