The AAAS DoSER program is excited to open applications for our Science Engagement for Congregational Flourishing grant initiative. Click on the link above for more details and to apply.
The AAAS DoSER program is excited to open applications for our Science Engagement for Congregational Flourishing grant initiative. Click on the link above for more details and to apply.
The “Science Engagement for Congregational Flourishing” (SECF) project will resource and equip congregational leaders, both clergy and lay, to engage with critical issues at the intersection of science and society within their congregations and communities. The projects initiated through SECF will foster theological reflection on critical questions raised by scientific and technological advances and enable them to foster to the flourishing of their communities through informed and impactful engagement with the issues that matter most, from food security to health to racial justice and more.
The SECF project will provide grants to continuing education providers to develop offerings that equip and resource congregational leaders to meaningfully engage with science in their ministry contexts. DoSER will provide connections with scientists and science resources to enhance continuing education offerings and will support grantees through workshops, cohort meetings, and networking opportunities. In addition, DoSER will directly support congregational leaders through a series of in-person and virtual workshops that provide tools and resources for leaders to engage forefront science issues within their ministerial contexts. Participants in these workshops, as well as participants in the continuing education programs developed, will also receive ongoing support from DoSER including science resources and networking opportunities with one another through both periodic virtual meet-ups and an ongoing online network for sharing questions, resources, and promising practices. DoSER will also provide mini-grants to congregational leaders to help kickstart science engagement programs within their ministry contexts. This project is funded through a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc.
For congregations to thrive, they must be relevant to their communities by meaningfully engaging with the issues that are facing them while still remaining faithful to their theological traditions and practices. By providing resources and practical guidance in science engagement for congregational leaders, SECF will equip these leaders to shepherd their congregations through the challenges and opportunities raised by scientific and technological advancements that are shaping the world today.
