APU Receives $5 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment to Inspire Faith Formation in Young Adults Through Service

The program is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s National Youth and Young Adult Initiative on Faith and Service (Faith and Service Initiative), which is designed to nurture and deepen the faith of Christian young people through intentional service and reflection about the meaning of service in their lives. 

Through The Cornerstones Project, APU will empower a new generation of young leaders to live out their faith in service to others, inspired by a theological framework that integrates spirituality, reflection, and action. Young adults will engage in meaningful service opportunities that will help them discover their potential and envision the impact they can have as they grow spiritually.

“The Cornerstones Project is a testament to APU’s longstanding commitment to cultivate Christian leaders who engage with the world through meaningful service,” said President Adam J. Morris, PhD. “This initiative builds upon APU’s more than 125-year history of transforming young adults for their higher calling.”  

The Cornerstones Project will establish APU’s Institute for Faith, Leadership, and Service, uniting students, faculty, and staff to explore the deeper theological dimensions of serving others and enhancing the university’s ability to provide training in theological reflection and Christian leadership. The APU Faith and Service Incubator will launch as a hub for collaboration to support innovative service initiatives among the university and external partners, including churches, Christian K-12 schools, and parachurch organizations. APU’s Youth Leadership Initiative will expand to galvanize high school students from diverse backgrounds across Southern California and beyond by engaging in service projects to develop their faith and leadership skills and address local community needs. 

Finally, in collaboration with Barna Group, APU will conduct a groundbreaking research study to explore the lasting impact of service on faith formation in high school and college students. APU students will act as service ambassadors along with Barna. Insights from the study will show how these formative experiences influence students’ growth, purpose, and career choices, as well as their ongoing commitment to community engagement. As part of the study, Barna will assist APU in development of resources and materials for churches, schools, youth-serving organizations, parents, and caregivers across the U.S.  

Service is not just an act of charity; rather, it is a transformative experience that tangibly connects us to God’s work in the world, giving our time, talents, and resources to have a positive impact in the local and global community,” said Jennifer Graffius, DMin, executive director of APU’s Center for Vocational Ministry and principal investigator. “This project embodies APU’s mission to cultivate disciples and scholars who advance God’s Kingdom.

Azusa Pacific University is 1 of 12 organizations funded through this invitational Faith and Service Initiative. They represent a broad spectrum of Christian traditions that includes Catholic, mainline and evangelical Protestant, Orthodox and Pentecostal faith communities and communities rooted in Black Church and Hispanic traditions. 

“The projects being funded through the Faith and Service Initiative hold the promise of helping young people grow spiritually by drawing on Christian traditions to reflect on the meaning of service,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “They also will strengthen their ties to faith communities and help those faith communities understand more fully the needs and perspectives of young people.”

About Lilly Endowment Inc

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the 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 supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking 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 the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.

Azusa Pacific University, a top Christian higher education institution on the West Coast, equips students to become compassionate leaders who impact the world for Christ. APU offers 66 bachelor’s degrees, 40 master’s degrees, 32 certificates and credentials, and 9 doctoral programs to more than 6,500 students at the university’s main campus in Azusa, several regional locations across Southern California, and online. Learn more at apu.edu.