| In the last decade, the Lilly Endowment
has launched several grants programs that raise a central question, and
all the answers have to do with programs that engage young people in the
theological exploration of vocation.
The fundamental question is: How do we identify, recruit, and call forth
a new generation of talented pastoral leadership?
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Nearly ten years ago, the Endowment announced an initiative called
“Theological School Programs for High School Youth.” Its purpose: to
attract students for a period of study to explore theology and introduce
them to the pastoral life. “Many teenagers these days think of futures
in computers, medicine, law, science, teaching. Being a pastor just
never crosses their mind,” said Craig Dykstra, the Endowment senior vice
president for religion. “This program aims to change that.”
Theological schools — by virtue of their very role as centers of
inquiry, teaching, and learning, as places where the Christian tradition
is examined and carried forward, and where future church leaders are
trained in the practical wisdom of the Christian faith — are positioned
to engage teenagers in substantive exploration of central theological
issues to nurture their imaginations.
The Endowment has awarded grants to nearly 50
theological schools (across the denominational spectrum) to launch and sustain
programs in which teens pore through classical theological texts, engage in
service projects in local communities, “shadow” pastors in congregations, and
establish lasting connections with pastors and influential church leaders.
Seven of the eight ELCA seminaries received Lilly
funds to establish programs for high school students and young adults.
A further Lilly initiative called
“Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV) addresses
young people in college. PTEV supports church-related, liberal arts
colleges and universities in establishing programs that help students
examine the relationship between their faith and vocational choices,
provides opportunities for young people to explore Christian ministry as
their life’s work, and enhances the capacity of a school’s faculty and
staff to teach and mentor students effectively in this arena.
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| “Our thinking has been to capture the
imaginations of young people in the possibilities of leading purposeful lives of
faith in whatever occupation they decide on and hoping that many would give the
pastorate more than passing glance,” Dykstra said. At several Lutheran colleges
and universities across the nation, these programs have been well received —
from the Sense of Vocation Program at Luther College in Iowa to the Wild Hope
project at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington. Gretchen Wolfram
is a staff person in the area of communication with the Lilly Endowment,
Indianapolis, Indiana. |
