‘Best practice’ churches answer call, join Nurturing Children Initiative as first cohort
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 12/11/2025)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) has selected twelve “best practice” congregations to form the inaugural cohort of the Nurturing Children Initiative (NCI), a five-year nationwide project supported by a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
NCI invites American Baptists to reimagine how children participate in worship, prayer, and congregational life, explained Rev. Daryn B. Stylianopoulos, the program’s director. Through guided learning, coaching, and collaboration, NCI encourages churches to engage children from birth through age 12 in developmentally appropriate and spiritually grounded ways, creating intergenerational faith spaces where they are welcomed as vital members of Christ’s community.
“We have many churches already doing this well, so this is an exciting time for the Nurturing Children Initiative,” she said. “We welcome our cohort of ‘best practice’ churches, twelve congregations that exemplify vibrant ministry with and for children in worship and prayer.”
The cohort is comprised of:
- Bethany Baptist Church in Clarkdale, Arizona (ABCOFLASH)
- College Park Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina (ABCOTS)
- Falam Baptist Church of Indiana in Indianapolis, Indiana (ABC of IN/KY)
- First Baptist Church of Lawrence in Lawrence, Kansas (ABCCR)
- First Baptist Church in McMinnville, Oregon (ABCCPC)
- Iglesia Bautista de Las Cruces in Caguas, Puerto Rico (IBPR)
- Lee Road Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio (CBA)
- Mount Zion Baptist Church in Madison, Wisconsin (ABC of WI)
- Mount Zion Baptist Church in Springfield, Massachusetts (TABCOM)
- New Life Christian Fellowship/Northeast India Church in Castro Valley, California (ABCCPC)
- Spanish American Baptist Church in Union City, New Jersey (ABCNJ)
- St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina (ABCOTS)
Each congregation will send a three-member team to participate in a yearlong learning community. Children will be included among the delegates, reflecting a core belief of the initiative that their voices and spiritual insights should influence the shared life of the church.
The chosen congregations intentionally represent a broad range of regions, cultures, sizes, and theological traditions. “Our hope is that this diversity will enrich the learning community and equip ABHMS to highlight best practices in intergenerational worship and prayer that are relevant in a variety of ministry contexts across the denomination,” said Stylianopoulos.
Throughout 2026, the congregational teams will gather both virtually and in person, including a session in February at ABHMS’ Leadership and Mission Building, to delve with child development experts and ministry professionals into topics such as “What Is Worship?”; “Belonging and Belovedness”; “Books, Bibles, and Faith Resources for Children”; and “Congregational Accommodations for Specialized Needs.” Each congregation will also lead its own sessions with and for children, engaging them around questions of faith, inviting their prayers, and creating worship practices that reflect their voices.
Participating churches will be eligible for grants that strengthen the long-term sustainability of their worship and prayer practices. Alongside this support, the church teams will receive dedicated coaching to help them reflect on their congregations’ unique contexts and envision next steps for deepening their ministry with children.
Stylianopoulos expressed gratitude for the noteworthy progress of the Nurturing Children Initiative so far and acknowledged her dedicated colleagues who helped shape early development. She recognized Autumn Blalock, program coordinator; Rev. Dr. Denise Janssen, child development consultant; Dr. Lance Laird, program evaluator; and Rev. Dr. Marie Onwubuariri, director of ABHMS’ Intercultural Ministries, whose insights and collaboration have built a solid foundation for the work ahead.
As she considers the coming months, Stylianopoulos’ enthusiasm is palpable. “I am especially excited to learn alongside the children themselves, imagining with them, hearing from them about their faith, and honoring the beauty of their belonging in the body of Christ,” she said.
For more information about the Nurturing Children Initiative, visit ABHMS online.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.
