Welcome to the
NCCL CATHOLIC KIDS
WORSHIP & PRAYER INITIATIVE
Project Homepage
This is the National Community of Catechetical Leaders' new Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. With a generous grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc., NCCL is developing two national projects as part of the Initiative, and inviting parishes and Catholic elementary schools to participate.
The first Project focuses on Children and Catholic Worship with the goal of engaging children (and their parents) more fully and meaningfully in the liturgical life of the Catholic Church. A major emphasis in this Project will be on liturgical formation and child-friendly ways to engage all children in Sunday Mass. NCCL can accept a maximum of 50 parishes and schools to participate.
The second Project focuses on Children and Prayer with the goal of creating a developmentally-appropriate Catholic prayer curriculum for young children and grade school children that can be implemented at home, in the school, and in the parish. NCCL can accept a maximum of 50 parishes and schools to participate.
The Lilly Endowment, Inc grant allows NCCL to provide all resources, services, training, and the 2029 conference at no cost to participating parishes and Catholic schools.
Download the Project Overview PDF Descargar PDF en Español
TIMELINE:
| Spring - Fall 2025 | Invitation to participate | |
| Fall 2025 | Confirmation of participation Orientation and preparation for Project 1 and for Project 2 |
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| Winter - Spring 2026 | Preparation of leaders through specialized webinars, videos, and resources Review and preparation to implement the new resources |
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| Fall 2026 - Summer 2027 | Year 1 implementation and end-of-year evaluation | |
| Fall 2027 - Summer 2028 | Year 2 implementation and end-of-year evaluation | |
| Fall 2028 - Spring 2029 | Year 3 implementation and final evaluation | |
| Summer 2029 | Three-day conference with parish leaders involved in Project #1 OR Three-day conference with parish and school leaders involved in Project #2 |
Interested?
Apply to participate in the Initiative by completing an application form at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NCCLKids.
We can only accept 50 parish and schools for each Project. So please apply as soon as possible!
For questions and additional information contact John Roberto: [email protected].
Project Overview
Learn about the two national projects focused on children's Catholic worship and prayer.
Submit Your Interest
Apply to participate in the initiative by filling out the form at SurveyMonkey.com.
Thanks to Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private 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. A 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.
This Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative is brought to you by NCCL.
The National Community of Catechetical Leaders is dedicated to promoting the ministries of evangelization and catechesis in the U.S. Catholic Church by fostering a community of leaders who proclaim and teach the Word of Jesus Christ through the witness of accompaniment, education, and formation in the Catholic faith.
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