Lancaster Theological Seminary, one of the UCC's seven seminaries, has announced that its Leadership Now: Spiritual Formation With Youth program has received a multi-year grant of $939,000 from Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Impressed with the work the program has accomplished over the past eight years, Lilly not only funded the full request but also increased the award by $175,000. The Endowment's program officer has noted that Leadership Now is among the top programs of its kind in the United States.

The grant will be used to expand programming that includes an annual summer leadership academy and cross-cultural trip to another nation.

Dr. Riess Potterveld, LTS President, says the grant will support Leadership Now for three to four years while the school continues to build its endowment.

"During the past eight years, we have worked directly with over 800 youth from our region, and many of these participants in Leadership Now have engaged in the program for multiple years," says Potterveld. "All of them have been encouraged to integrate their faith into their sense of vocation. We are constantly amazed by the idealism and passionate faith of the youth we encounter. They see the world and are intent upon making it a better place."

The mission of Leadership Now is to empower youth to live out their commitments as people of faith with an emphasis on equipping them for leadership roles in church and society. Its impact is apparent in the lives of youth participants and the congregations in which those youths share their creative gifts.

To learn more about Leadership Now, log on to www.leadershipnow.org.