Author
Shannon W. Dycus
Pastor and educator
Shannon W. Dycus is a pastor and educator who has spent her career working in learning communities and ministry settings. She leads the student life division at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, as vice president of student affairs and dean of students. She served previously as co-pastor at First Mennonite Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is active in writing and worship development with the Mennonite Church USA, publishing the 2023 Advent devotional “The Holy in the Night”and the 2019 women’s Bible study “Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” both with Herald Press.
Dycus holds a degree in secondary education from Butler University and a master of divinity from Christian Theological Seminary. She is a current doctoral student at United Theological Seminary exploring the role of public theology in faith-based education.
Lilly Endowment Inc. announces Exploring Christian Practices Initiative
The Exploring Christian Practices Initiative aims to multiply opportunities and increase access to settings that help individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds explore and engage in Christian practices to address their spiritual interests and questions, find and build community with others, nourish their religious lives and grow in faith.
In this open and competitive initiative, the Endowment invites charitable organizations to submit proposals for grants of up to $2.5 million each that may be used for up to a five-year period to develop new and/or enhance existing programs that present promising strategies for advancing the aim of the initiative and provide compelling and thoughtful responses to its guiding questions. The Endowment anticipates awarding approximately 60 grants and announcing grant awards in December 2026.
The Endowment will host four virtual information sessions (February 17, 19, 24, and 25) to discuss the Exploring Christian Practices guidelines for submitting a proposal. An Interest Form and Letter of Interest are due March 25, 2026. Complete proposals are due May 18, 2026.
Learn More and register for information sessions