Facing Your Future Receives Lilly Grant

The Facing Your Future program at Calvin Theological Seminary has received a $350,000 Bridge Grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. to provide additional funds to help high school students take part in the popular summer enrichment program.

Money from the Lilly grant will help supplement "the generous gifts of CRC congregations and individual donor's in this program," according to an article in the CTS's recently released Forum for Winter 2010.

Nominations for young people interested in taking part in the FYF program are due by Feb. 1, 2010.

"FYF is a 22-day summer experience incorporating time spent at CTS, an off-campus excursion to expose participants to different types of ministry, and a brief wrap-up time back on campus," says the Forum article.

Students arrive on the CTS campus on June 30, where lodging, dining, learning, and recreational resources are provided. The program begins the next day. With Calvin Theological Seminary faculty and other invited guests, students will probe the Bible for what it has to say about modern issues such as:

• How does the image of God contribute to healthy self-esteem?
• Is peace on earth possible? What about peace in the church?
• Can racial reconciliation occur in urban ministry?
• How does a good God let Hurricane Katrina take place?
• Can truth be found in Islam?

Students will participate in one of the excursions, which will help reinforce the correlation between theological reflection and ministry. The excursion sites have been developed for FYF in partnership with Youth Unlimited's ENCOUNTERS Program: www.youthunlimited.org.

On July 19, students return to Grand Rapids, where they “share what they did, whom they worked with and what they learned at their place of ministry. Before heading back home, the students will have time to begin processing their studies and excursion experiences together. On July 21, all students will return home,” says the FYF website: www.calvinseminary.edu.

All participating students and those who nominate them for the program (or designated alternates) must agree to establish a mentoring relationship that extends through the college years. The purpose of this relationship is to sustain the student’s interest in theological reflection, face issues related to ministry that may arise, and help students obtain an overall sense of well-being and health.

Students who would like to participate must have the following qualifications:

• Program is open to 35 students who are in grades 11 or 12 at the time of nomination.
• Students must be affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.
• Students must be nominated by a pastor, youth leader, high school administrator or Bible teacher.
• The cost of the program is $310, U.S. currency, due at the time of acceptance into the program. The student is also responsible for travel costs to and from Grand Rapids.

Nominees must have: A demonstrated involvement in the life and ministry of the church; possess the character and qualities for Christian leadership (ability to lead, exert influence, motivate, inspire, and take initiative), and a GPA of 3.25 or higher.

For more information, call 1-616-957-7154 or 1-800-388-6034.

To read the most current issue of Forum, whose theme in this issue is “Discipleship,” visit: http://www.calvinseminary.edu/pubs/forum/10winter.pdf.