$1 Million Lilly Endowment Grant

LOS ALTOS, Calif., Oct. 14, 2020 – Los Altos United Methodist Church has received a grant of $1 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish the Changemaker Church Project, a unique project of The Changemaker Initiative. The program is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, which aims to help Christian congregations nationwide strengthen their faith, build stronger relationships with each other and contribute to the flourishing of their local communities.

Lilly Endowment has awarded nearly $93 million in grants to support new programs to help religious congregations gain clarity about their values and missions, explore and better understand the communities they serve and draw upon their theological traditions as they adapt ministries to meet changing needs.

The Changemaker Church Project will launch a movement of “changemaker churches” that empower laypeople of all ages to become changemakers—combining their faith with socially innovative ideas to promote flourishing in families, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, communities. The project will provide a three-year learning journey for 12-20 congregations, assemble a Changemaker Church Symposium, and develop toolkits to share with other churches.

The vision of Senior Pastor Kathi McShane at Los Altos United Methodist Church (LAUMC) started The Changemaker Initiative three years ago. It has since then profoundly shaped the people and mission of LAUMC.

“The Changemaker Initiative offers a new way to talk about what matters most to us: integrating faith and effective, innovative action in the world,” said Pastor McShane. “We’re imagining congregations full of people who are ‘compassion-driven changemakers like Jesus.’ That’s what it means to be Christian.”

Many folks in the church have caught Pastor McShane’s vision, including Kim Jones, MD, a pediatrician who left clinical medicine to lead this work and serves as the director of the Changemaker Church Project. “We are excited at this opportunity to collaborate and keep learning,” said Dr. Jones. “We wonder, what would happen if other churches were to equip and enable people to pursue their passions and callings to make a difference? We think the potential impact on individuals, congregations, and communities is huge. We can’t wait to get started.” 

LAUMC is one of 92 organizations that has received one of the Lilly Endowment’s grants. Grant recipients represent and serve churches in a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, including Anabaptist, Baptist, Episcopal, Evangelical, Lutheran, Methodist, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Reformed, Restoration, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox, as well as congregations that describe themselves as nondenominational. Several organizations serve communities in Black, Hispanic, and Asian-American traditions.

“In the midst of a rapidly changing world, Christian congregations are grappling with how they can best carry forward their ministries,” said Christopher Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “These grants will help congregations assess their ministries and draw on practices in their theological traditions to address new challenges and better nurture the spiritual vitality of the people they serve.”

Lilly Endowment launched the Thriving Congregations Initiative in 2019 as part of its commitment to support efforts that enhance the vitality of Christian congregations. For more information, visit thechangemakerinitiative.org.

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About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a 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 exists to support the causes of religion, education, and community development. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment’s grantmaking in religion 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 their pastoral and lay leadership.

About Los Altos United Methodist Church

LAUMC (laumc.org) is a 2,400-member, multi-staffed church located in the heart of Silicon Valley, with campuses in Los Altos and Mountain View. Its vision is “Connection. Compassion. Courage. That all may flourish.” LAUMC is a Changemaker Church (thechangemakerinitiative.org).

For more information, contact:

Sabine Zimmerhansl, Director of Marketing and Communications

communications@laumc.org | 650-948-1083

Kim Jones, Director, Changemaker Church Project

kim@thechangemakerinitiative.org | 650-948-1083