ALEXANDRIA, VA – Old Town Community Church has received a grant in the amount of $1,243,648 from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Thriving Congregations Initiative. The grant will fund the Building for Hope program, which will guide congregations through a journey of repurposing their underutilized facilities and other physical assets to advance each congregation’s mission.

Building for Hope responds to the epidemic of undermaintained and underutilized church facilities across the US and a desire to reorient these spaces for community and congregational flourishing. Congregations that apply and are accepted into the two-year Building for Hope program will receive, at no cost to them, comprehensive education, training, and support from subject matter experts, coaches, and case studies – all designed to equip congregations to creatively utilize their facilities for good in their specific settings.

The first Building for Hope cohort will begin meeting in early 2025, with participating congregations represented by a pastor and up to two lay leaders. The program is designed to run concurrently with the ongoing needs and obligations of participating congregations, their staff, and lay leadership. It includes three in-person, multi-day gatherings in the first year and follow-up consultation and implementation coaching in the program’s second year. In addition to covering all training, the grant also covers the cost of food and lodging for participating congregations.

Lilly Endowment is a philanthropic foundation that supports and funds community development, education, and religion. Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative is supporting organizations that seek to strengthen ministries that help people deepen their relationships with God, enhance their connections with each other, and contribute to the flourishing of their communities and the world. The vision of Building for Hope is to create a movement of sustained revitalization through creative, community-based uses of underutilized church facilities.

To learn more about Building for Hope or if your congregation is interested in applying to participate in the program, please visit oldtown.cc/buildingforhope to get started.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This press release was originally published by Old Town Community Church, a BGAV-participating congregation in Alexandria, VA.