Northeastern Seminary at Roberts awarded largest grant to-date

Andrea Deckert//August 7, 2023//

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Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan University has received a grant of nearly $1.23 million from Lily Endowment Inc. through its Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initative to establish Familias Unidas, a program that will create pathways for Latino parents and caregivers to strengthen their family ties and the transference of Christian values to their children.

It is the largest grant the seminary has received.

In partnership with Missio Alliance — a network of theological practitioners including pastors, church ministry leaders, denominational, seminary and publishing partners — Familias Unidas will primarily support congregations by curating theologically robust, culturally attuned and community-driven resources that consider the unique assets and challenges embodied by Latino families.

“I am thrilled that Northeastern Seminary has the opportunity to partner with Missio Alliance on such an important project,” said Benjamin Espinoza, vice president of Northeastern Seminary. “Spiritual formation has been a core value of the seminary since its inception 25 years ago and we are excited to extend this commitment to the broader Latino community.”

Northeastern Seminary and Missio Alliance will create context-appropriate resources that include educational opportunities, as well as contextualized liturgies, specialized training, resources and practices, podcasts and support networks, among other resources. The project will also enable the seminary to hire faculty to teach in the areas of children’s and youth spiritual formation and create an advanced certificate program in the same area.

Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan University is one of 77 organizations that are receiving grants through this competitive round of the initiative.

Lilly Endowment launched the Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative in 2022 because of its interest in supporting efforts to help individuals and families from diverse Christian communities draw more fully on the wisdom of Christian practices to live out their faith fully and well, passing on a vibrant faith to a new generation.

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