Led by the Rev. Dr. Carolyn Helsel of Austin Seminary and supported by two generous grants from Lilly Endowment Inc., this initiative seeks to empower congregations in Texas and beyond to deepen their faith-sharing practices.

The Faithful Preaching Project and the Children’s Sermons by Children program both aim to provide resources and peer-learning opportunities for congregations and their leaders, as well as to build up future leaders for the church.

Bringing together the work of both grants under one unified mission, the Sharing Faith Initiative aligns with Austin Seminary’s commitment “to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ… [and] to employ its resources for the nurture of the church.” While each grant retains its unique focus, the initiative fosters collaboration, shared learning, and collective impact.

With a dedicated leadership team and the invaluable support of Austin Seminary, we are excited to guide churches and faith communities in discovering new ways to share their faith with confidence and joy.

The Sharing Faith Initiative is a visionary effort to equip Christians of all ages to inspire faith in others.

Faithful Preaching Project is designed to help preachers instill deeper faith in their listeners, inspire congregants to share their stories of faith, and empower all to live out their faith more fully in worship and in the community. FPP offers free opportunities for learning, support and coaching that provide tools for faith-full and faith inspiring sermons and messages.

Children’s Sermons by Children supports faith-sharing across all ages through gatherings, cohorts, and workshops. Partnering with congregations with active children’s ministries, the project fosters conversations with children and ministry leaders about how children experience and share God. Through workshops, videos, and curricular resources, it equips English- and Spanish-speaking Protestant congregations in Texas to nurture children as leaders in proclaiming their faith.