Unbinding the Gospel Project
The Lilly Endowment has awarded a major grant (2008 - 2013), with two stated purposes:
- to support groups of churches (1000+ congregations) with coaching so they can use the Unbinding Series in the most contextually systematic and effective ways to develop evangelistic motivation and numerical growth, and
- to help pastors and lay leaders in these 1000 churches work together as "communities of inquiry," in essence as field researcher partners, as they discover, evaluate and work with the dynamics of congregational transformation through faith development, faith sharing and missional outreach.
Martha Grace Reese, director of the original Mainline Evangelism Project, the research project in which the Unbinding Series is grounded, serves as the director of this new research, the "Unbinding the Gospel Project." Gifted coaches work with Reese on this project, which the Endowment recently expanded from a four year to a six year term.
Reports to Lilly Endowment:
Fourth Report to the Lilly Endowment 4/30/12 newest research findings