In October 2024, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church (OSLC), was awarded  $1,244,440 grant by Lilly Endowment Inc. to support a new program called “Praying in the Spirit: Nurturing Children in Three Communities, One Neighborhood.” The program serves as a model of collaboration and creativity in faith formation with three participating churches from the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis: OSLC, All Nations Indian Church (ANIC UCC) and San Pablo’s / Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church (SPLC). Together, we are all working to extend the Good News of God in diverse cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic contexts.

“This grant will not only enhance worship and prayer practices for our children and families at OSLC, but also our collaboration with ANIC and SPLC. This brings hope and joy to the wider Phillips community and beyond.”

Pastor Esther K. Sianipar, ThM, OSLC’s Associate Pastor and the project director.

The program is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative, a national initiative designed to help Christian congregations more fully and intentionally engage children in intergenerational corporate worship and prayer practices.