Clergy Renewal Programs

Clergy Renewal Programs is sponsored by Lilly Endowment Inc. (administered by Christian Theological Seminary). This program aims to strengthen Christian congregations by providing opportunities for pastors to step away briefly from daily parish life for a period of renewal and reflection. These grants help congregations in the US and Puerto Rico fund renewal leaves for their pastors.

Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs - Christian Theological Seminary Hit enter to search or ESC to close Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs Center for Pastoral Excellence • Clergy Renewal Programs The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs at Christian Theological Seminary seek to strengthen Christian congregations by providing opportunities for their pastors to step away briefly from the demands of daily parish life and engage in a period of renewal and reflection.

These competitive grants programs help congregations in the US and Puerto Rico fund renewal leaves for their pastors with awards of up to $60,000 each. Application Window for 2027 Renewal Leaves Closed We are no longer accepting proposals for renewal leaves planned in 2027. The next program year will open in November 2026, signaled by the publishing of the 2027 Requests for Proposals to this page.

We invite you to explore the current RFP and other resources as you consider "what will make your heart sing". 2025 Information Webinar Recording Available Below! The recording of the Information Webinar hosted by Clergy Renewal Programs staff on November 24, 2025 is available below.

Scroll to Step 2: Watch the Webinar and click "launch video". This timeline provides an overview of the general timeline the Clergy Renewal Programs follow each year. Specific dates for each program year are noted in the Requests for Proposals.

Please note, proposals are submitted the year prior to the planned renewal leave. Last Business Day in August Notification of Proposal Decision Funds Disbursed to Awardees Christian congregations and clergy that meet the following criteria are eligible to submit proposals for a Clergy Renewal leave together: Christian congregations must be in one of the 50 US States, Washington, DC, or Puerto Rico.

Clergy must be serving as pastoral leaders in congregational ministry, whether part-time, full-time, or bi-vocational. Clergy must hold ordination at the time the proposal is submitted and be a member in good standing with their denomination or, for those serving independent or non-denominational congregations, be serving their congregations in ways commensurate with their denominationally ordained peers.

Clergy must hold Master of Divinity degrees or equivalents or, clergy without Master of Divinity degrees must be in good standing with their ordaining body and demonstrate a strong record of congregational service and commitment to ongoing education/professional development What are the Clergy Renewal Programs?

The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs at Christian Theological Seminary support Christian congregations by providing an opportunity for pastors to step away briefly from the demands of daily parish life and discover what will make their hearts sing through well-planned purposeful activities.

Renewal leaves are not vacations; rather they allow for times of intentional exploration, reflection, and regaining enthusiasm and creativity for ministry. Renewal leaves can take many forms as each congregation and pastor uniquely answer the question, “What will make your heart sing?

” The current Requests for Proposals (RFP) linked below provide a full description of the program including eligibility requirements, program parameters, selection procedures, and the proposal writing and submission process. Please review the appropriate RFP thoroughly. Each one includes essential instructions, the required form, worksheets, and documentation, and the proposal questions.

Step 1: Read the Request for Proposals (RFP) The application process includes each step outlined here. Congregational leaders and the pastor should work together to design the renewal program, complete each step in the process, and submit the proposal by the deadline noted in the current year’s Request for Proposals.

Indiana Request for Proposal Indiana Clergy Renewal Program National Clergy Renewal Program Step 2: Watch the Webinar If this is your first time submitting a proposal, watch this Information Webinar that describes the programs, explains how to submit a proposal, where to find current application materials, and provides answers to commonly asked questions.

If you have applied previously and already viewed the webinar video, you may scroll down to Updates from Last Year. 2025 Informational Webinar What will make your heart sing? 2025 Clergy Renewal Program Information Webinar describes the programs, explains how to submit a proposal, where to find current application materials, and provides answers to commonly asked questions.

Many of you may be familiar with the programs and the process of submitting a proposal. The following information highlights changes to the programs since last year. Switched to an online only application process!

Complete details provided in the Requests for Proposals. The new process represents a hybrid approach that includes completing fields in the online portal (opens December 1) and uploading the written portion to the portal as a PDF document. Same Tax Status & Signatures form used for both programs.

See Step 3. Removed “Post-leave Activities” category from Pastor’s Budget. Because we permit congregations and leave-taking pastors to propose multiple leave periods over the course of two calendar years, this category became obsolete.

Step 3: Download & Review the Form Once you have read the Request for Proposals in its entirety, viewed the webinar above, and reviewed notes for the current program year, you are ready to complete and print the fillable form. The fillable form is the same for the Indiana and National Clergy Renewal Programs. The completed form must be included as part of Proposal PDF described in the Request for Proposals document linked in Step 1.

Clergy Renewal Programs Fillable Form Form currently unavailable until new program year opens in November 2026. Step 4: Review FAQs & Resources The Clergy Renewal Programs team has prepared helpful resources for congregations and pastors applying to receive a renewal grant.

These resources include advice from past grant recipients, tips for a high-quality proposal, and multimedia interviews designed to help you as you complete your proposal. Is the program only for senior or lead pastors? The programs are open to clergy serving as pastoral leaders in congregational ministry regardless of their role or title.

Can grant funds be used as a fellowship? Clergy Renewal Grant funds cannot be used as a fellowship program for work toward an academic degree. Clergy whose plans are strictly dedicated to the pursuit of an academic degree are encouraged to seek support elsewhere.

How long a renewal leave can be proposed? A total renewal leave time of 12 weeks is encouraged. The renewal leave may be planned as a single 12-week span or as multiple leaves of no less than 2 weeks spread over the two calendar years following the year in which the proposal is submitted .

I serve as a college campus pastor. Am I eligible? This depends on a few factors.

If, in your role as a campus pastor, you are employed by the college or university where you minister, you would not be eligible to benefit from a grant. However, if you serve as a pastoral leader with a congregation that operates on the campus and are employed by the congregation, then yes. Are clergy who serve in other ministry contexts besides congregational ministry eligible to benefit from a Clergy Renewal Grant?

Only clergy serving as pastoral leaders in congregational ministry are eligible to benefit from a Clergy Renewal Programs grant. Our church needs repair. Can this grant help?

Clergy Renewal Programs grant funds may only be used for costs associated with a congregation’s and leave-taking pastor’s renewal leave program. Congregations in search of financial support for the purpose of building repairs, updates, renovations, or capital improvements should seek out other sources for these types of financial needs.

Step 5: Access Online Portal & Submit Proposal The online portal is closed until after the 2027 program year begins. Access to the portal will be provided here in blue hyperlinked text at that time. In the meantime, we invite you to review the current Request for Proposals (Step 1 above) and other resources to aid you in preparing and planning your renewal leave.

All proposals submitted by eligible congregations receive equal consideration in the review process. Indiana Request for Proposal 2026 Formatting Templates Guide Formatting Templates Guide If you have questions not answered in the timeline, eligibility, programs description, Request for Proposals, FAQs, or detailed application process steps outlined above, please complete this Contact form.

Please be aware that all fields are required to successfully submit the form, and it will only accept one inquiry per email address . . If you have previously used this form, please send us an email instead at ClergyRenewal@cts.

edu and one of our staff will be happy to respond to you. Para más información en español contactar ale@zoenetwork. mx .

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Wayne Multiple Denominations Represented Nondenominational / independent Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Indianapolis Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith International Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ Associate Director, Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs Associate Dean for Evaluation and Assessment, Associate Professor of Theology and Culture, Executive Director of Center for Pastoral Excellence and the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs Program Support Assistant Consultores que hablan Español Clergy Renewal Program Christian Theological Seminary Announces 233 Congregations Awarded Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program Grants for 2025 Christian Theological Seminary Announces 233 Congregations Awarded Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program Grants for 2025 Christian Theological Seminary, an ecumenical seminary based in Indianapolis, announces 233 congregations from across the United States have been selected… Clergy Renewal Program Christian Theological Seminary Announces 198 Congregations Awarded Lilly Endowment 2024 Clergy Renewal Program Grants Christian Theological Seminary Announces 198 Congregations Awarded Lilly Endowment 2024 Clergy Renewal Program Grants Christian Theological Seminary, an ecumenical seminary based in Indianapolis, today announces 198 congregations from across the United States have been… Clergy Renewal Program Christian Theological Seminary Announces Over 200 Congregations Awarded Lilly Endowment 2023 Clergy Renewal Program Grants Christian Theological Seminary Announces Over 200 Congregations Awarded Lilly Endowment 2023 Clergy Renewal Program Grants Christian Theological Seminary, an ecumenical seminary based in Indianapolis, today announces 229 congregations from across the United States have been… Christian Theological Seminary CTS Webinars – Common Life, Real Conversations Compelling Preaching Initiative Testify!

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