Award-Winning Author Jon Meacham to Speak at CTS

 

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian. Co-Chair of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & Democracy. New York Times bestselling author. Contributing editor at TIME. Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Chair in the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University. Canon Historian of the Washington National Cathedral. Sought-after lecturer and commentator on American history and public life.  

And this October, Jon Meacham is coming to Christian Theological Seminary. 

Known for bringing history into conversation with the most pressing questions of the present, Meacham is uniquely suited to help CTS explore the question, “Who Will Lead Us Forward?” His scholarship examines the complicated relationship among faith, politics, democracy, and moral leadership—and what history can teach us about navigating moments of division and uncertainty. 

These intersections are especially challenging in America today. On October 13, CTS will convene the community for an honest, historically grounded, and hope-sustaining conversation about the responsibilities of leadership and the role each of us can play in shaping our shared future. 

The evening will also mark the public introduction of RISE UP: A Campaign for Human Flourishing, CTS’s most ambitious campaign to date. Through RISE UP, CTS is investing in the people, programs, and partnerships that prepare transformative leaders, advance justice, expand access to healing, and strengthen communities in Indiana and beyond. 

From his biographies of John Lewis and Abraham Lincoln to his writing on democracy, faith, and the American presidency, Meacham’s work reflects many of the questions at the heart of CTS’s mission: How do we summon moral courage? How can faith contribute constructively to public life? And who will help lead us toward a more just and hopeful future? 

The evening will feature a moderated conversation between Meacham and the Honorable Myra C. Selby exploring faith, history, democracy, moral courage, and leadership. “Who Will Lead Us Forward?” is more than a rhetorical question—it is an invitation for each of us to consider our responsibility for what comes next. 

General registration for “Who Will Lead Us Forward?” opens on September 22 at https://www.cts.edu/events/who-will-lead-us-forward-a-conversation-with-jon-meacham/. The program will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, in Shelton Auditorium at Christian Theological Seminary. This event is free, but advance registration is required as seating is limited. 

Jason Reynolds Brings a Hopeful Message for Indianapolis Youth

 

Jason Reynolds’ visit gives Indianapolis a chance to come together around a hopeful question: how can more young people experience the relationships, encouragement, and opportunity they need to thrive? For many children and young adults in Marion County, that question is urgent. 35% of households with children are either living in poverty or are ALICE households—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—leaving many families navigating food insecurity, unstable housing, mental health challenges, and fewer dependable sources of support.   

The encouraging news is that relationships make a measurable difference. Caring adults, mentors, educators, faith communities, neighbors, and local organizations can help change the trajectory of a young person’s life.   

That is why this year’s Faith & Action Fall Event is about more than hosting an acclaimed author. It is an invitation for Indianapolis neighbors, leaders, educators, congregations, service providers, families, and friends to gather around one shared question: How do we ensure every young person is seen, valued, and connected to the relationships they need to thrive? 

On Tuesday, October 27, the Faith & Action Project invites the community to The Power of Being Seen: How Relationships Create Opportunity for Young People, a conversation featuring Jason Reynolds, a #1 New York Times bestselling author and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. 

Reynolds has become one of the nation’s most widely read and respected voices for young people—not because he lectures them, but because he understands them. His books have helped many young readers feel seen, while helping adults better understand what young people are carrying and what they need from us. Through stories of resilience, belonging, and hope, he reminds us that every child has extraordinary potential waiting to be recognized and nurtured. 

As Reynolds often demonstrates through his writing and public conversations, before young people can imagine a brighter future, someone has to help them believe they belong in it. 

His visit comes at an important moment for Indianapolis. Communities across our city are asking how we can better support young people as they navigate poverty, violence, mental health challenges, educational barriers, and increasing social isolation. While these issues are complex, Reynolds offers a hopeful perspective: lasting change often begins with something remarkably simple—a trusted adult who listens, believes, encourages, and stays.  

For the past decade, the Faith & Action Project has explored what helps move people out of poverty. Again and again, we have found that lasting solutions are built on relationships.    

Research reinforces what many educators, mentors, parents, faith leaders, and youth-serving organizations experience every day. Relationships—what researchers call “social capital”—are among the strongest predictors of long-term economic mobility and well-being. At last year’s Faith & Action event, Harvard economist Raj Chetty reminded us that deliberately building connections across neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and communities may be one of the most powerful ways to create opportunity. He challenged us to recognize that poverty cannot be solved by one organization or one sector alone. Families, schools, businesses, nonprofits, congregations, and neighbors all have a role to play in creating an ecosystem where every young person can flourish.  

Jason Reynolds brings that research to life.   

His stories remind us that young people are not problems to be solved but individuals filled with remarkable promise. He challenges us to see beyond labels and circumstances and instead recognize the gifts, resilience, and potential within every child. His message invites us to ask an important question: What kind of community are we becoming if every child does not have someone who truly sees them?   

This conversation will inspire us, but it will also challenge us. It will encourage each of us to consider our own role in expanding opportunity for the next generation. You do not have to work directly with young people to make a meaningful difference. Whether you mentor one student, hire a young adult, volunteer with a youth-serving organization, advocate for stronger systems, support families, or simply become another caring adult in a young person’s life, your influence matters.  

Every child deserves at least one adult who refuses to let them become invisible.    

The future of Indianapolis will be shaped by how well we invest in today’s young people. We hope you will join us for this important community conversation—one that will inspire, challenge, and equip us to become the caring adults our city needs. When young people are truly seen, relationships can become pathways to opportunity, hope, and lasting change. 

Registration opens in September. Learn more and Register Now.

Exploring Spiritual Care 

 

If you have not yet participated in one of Christian Theological Seminary’s Lifelong Learning Series webinars, this year’s free online series may be a good opportunity to begin. The series, part of CTS’s Lifelong Learning offerings, is designed to bring thoughtful conversations to alumni, ministry leaders, helping professionals, and community members beyond the classroom. 

According to Dr. Francisco Lozada, Jr., Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, the purpose of the series is rooted in the seminary’s belief that formation and learning continue long after a student leaves campus. 

“The CTS Lifelong Learning Series reflects our belief that theological education does not end at graduation,” Lozada said. “It is part of CTS’s public mission to the Church and Society to create opportunities for clergy, counselors, nonprofit leaders, healthcare professionals, educators, alumni, and interested members of the community to continue learning throughout their lives.” 

This year’s series explores spiritual care and chaplaincy, inviting participants to consider what faithful and effective care requires in an increasingly complex and changing world. 

The first installment, “Spiritual Care for Religious Nones,” features Ben Iten, president of The Humanist Society. The webinar will examine the term “religious nones,” commonly used to describe atheists, agnostics, and people who are religiously unaffiliated, while drawing important distinctions among these diverse groups. 

Iten will discuss how individuals within these communities may understand meaning, identity, and the world differently—and why those differences matter for spiritual care providers. The session will give particular attention to practices that support existential reflection and accompany people through significant life transitions. 

Lozada said the webinar format is intentional. “I believe the webinar format is the best way to capture a large audience,” he said. The broader goal is to make high-quality theological and professional education accessible to people serving in a wide range of contexts. 

“The series brings expert voices into conversation around issues that matter to both faith communities and society,” Lozada said. “The goal is to offer intellectually rigorous, practically relevant, and spiritually enriching programs that help participants think more deeply about the challenges facing our communities today.” 

The audience for the series is intentionally broad. Lozada said CTS welcomes ministers, mental health professionals, students, alumni, nonprofit leaders, educators, healthcare providers, and anyone interested in thoughtful theological and professional conversations at the intersection of faith, mental health, and public life. 

Participants, he said, should leave with new knowledge and perspectives from recognized leaders, as well as practical insights they can apply in their ministries, professions, counseling, and communities. He also hopes the sessions offer “a renewed sense of hope and purpose as they respond to complex social and spiritual challenges in today’s world.” 

“Ultimately, we want people to leave asking better questions, thinking more deeply, and serving more faithfully,” Lozada said. 

For the September webinar, Lozada said Iten’s presentation fits directly into the overall theme by expanding how participants think about care of the soul. “One of the central ideas of this year’s Care of the Soul series is that authentic care requires us to engage in the realities of the world in which we minister and serve,” he said. “Today, chaplains, spiritual care providers, counselors, clergy, and other caregivers increasingly encounter people from a wide range of religious traditions, spiritual backgrounds, and secular worldviews. It is this latter that we must not overlook.” 

Lozada said Iten’s work invites participants to think about compassionate presence in spiritually diverse settings. “Ben’s presentation broadens our understanding of soul care by inviting us to consider how compassionate presence, attentive listening, and ethical accompaniment are practiced in spiritually diverse settings,” he said. “Exploring the work of a Humanist Chaplain does not ask participants to set aside their own convictions; rather, it challenges us to think more deeply about what it means to care for the whole person with dignity, respect, and compassion. These are CTS’s values.” 

The topic is also timely, Lozada said, because caregivers and leaders are serving communities where religious and philosophical diversity is part of everyday life. 

“In today’s volatile society when differences create walls, Ben’s presentation is timely to learn how to build bridges to create communities of belonging,” Lozada said. “How do we practice chaplaincy in a pluralist setting, and how do we walk with others with different beliefs with compassion, respect, and dignity?” 

Speakers for the series are selected around themes and questions pressing both for CTS students and the wider communities CTS serves. Lozada said he begins either with themes emerging from the President’s office or with “the themes and questions that are most pressing for our communities and our students.” From there, CTS seeks nationally recognized scholars, practitioners, authors, and leaders whose work combines intellectual excellence with practical wisdom. 

“We also look for speakers who embody CTS’s values of thoughtful engagement, inclusion, and service, and who can help participants connect scholarship with lived experience,” he said. 

The series has also changed as the needs of churches, helping professionals, and communities have changed. What began with as a series of topical online courses geared towards micro-credentialing for pastors and lay leaders has become, Lozada said, increasingly interdisciplinary and engaging to a larger audience. While the series remains rooted in theological studies, it now brings together voices from counseling, advocacy, chaplaincy, healthcare, public policy, nonprofit leadership, and other disciplines. 

“That evolution reflects the changing realities our churches and communities face,” Lozada said. “Questions about mental health, social isolation, trauma, leadership, and human flourishing cannot be addressed by a single discipline alone.” 

Lozada said each webinar is designed to stand on its own, so participants can attend the sessions that most closely connect with their interests or work. At the same time, the full series is meant to offer broader and deeper experience. 

“Each speaker offers a different perspective on the year’s theme, allowing participants to engage it from multiple disciplinary, theological, and practical angles,” he said. “The overall experience provides a richer and more comprehensive understanding than any single event alone.” 

Watch the Webinar “Spiritual Care for Religious Nones” 

Learn more about the 2026-2027 Lifelong Learning webinar series 

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) will welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian and bestselling author Jon Meacham for a public conversation on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 7 p.m. in Shelton Auditorium on the Butler University South Campus.

Centered on the question “Who will lead us forward?”, the evening will explore moral courage and principled leadership at the intersection of faith, democracy, and justice. In a conversation moderated by the Honorable Myra C. Selby, former chair of the CTS Board of Trustees, Meacham will draw on his extensive study of American history and public life to examine what the nation’s past can teach us about meeting the challenges of the present.

“This evening is an invitation to consider both the leadership our world needs and the role each of us can play in creating a more just, compassionate and hopeful future,” said David M. Mellott, PhD, president of Christian Theological Seminary. “Jon Meacham’s work speaks powerfully to the moral imagination, courage and commitment required to meet this moment. We look forward to welcoming the wider community to CTS for this important conversation and to sharing our vision for what comes next.”

Meacham is one of America’s most prominent historians and commentators on politics, faith and civic life. His books include And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels and the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. He also served as canon historian of Washington National Cathedral and is a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University.

For more than a century, CTS has prepared leaders to respond thoughtfully and faithfully to the needs of the church and the wider community. This special evening will also mark the public introduction of RISE UP: A Campaign for Human Flourishing, a comprehensive

campaign advancing the Seminary’s work through the pillars of Faithful Leadership, Healing and Wholeness, Equity and Justice, and Sustaining Generosity.

Registration information and additional event details for the October 13 program can be found at https://www.cts.edu/events/who-will-lead-us-forward-a-conversation-with-jon-meacham/.

About Christian Theological Seminary

Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) is a fully-accredited ecumenical graduate school rooted in the Christian tradition and committed to developing leaders for the church and society. Through theological education, counseling, community engagement, and innovative initiatives, CTS equips individuals and communities to address the pressing challenges of the world with faith, wisdom, and courage.

###

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Stephanie Seeger

Communications Department

Christian Theological Seminary

ss*****@*ts.edu

INDIANAPOLIS — Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Faith & Action Project with The Power of Being Seen: How Relationships Create Opportunity for Young People, featuring #1 New York Times bestselling author and MacArthur Fellow Jason Reynolds. The event will take place Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, at 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis.

The public conversation will examine how belonging, mentorship and meaningful relationships shape young lives—and the role individuals and institutions throughout Indianapolis can play in connecting young people with the people and opportunities they need to thrive.

“As we celebrate a decade of Faith & Action, we are also looking ahead to the work our community can do together,” said Dr. David M. Mellott, president of Christian Theological Seminary. “When young people are truly seen, known and supported, new possibilities emerge. This gathering invites all of us to consider how we can help create those possibilities.”

Reynolds is known for writing honestly and powerfully about the lives of young people and for encouraging them to recognize their own potential. His work offers a compelling starting point for a broader community conversation about what can happen when young people are valued, supported and connected to opportunity.

“Jason Reynolds’ work reminds us that being seen can change the trajectory of a young person’s life,” said Lindsey Nell Rabinowhich, director of the Faith & Action Project. “This event challenges each of us to recognize the influence we can have—as mentors, neighbors, employers, faith communities, and caring adults—and to help young people build the relationships and connections that open pathways to opportunity.”

Following the conversation, attendees are invited to a community reception and 10th anniversary celebration featuring local mentoring and youth-serving organizations. Guests will

be able to meet individuals already investing in young people across Indianapolis and learn about opportunities to engage, serve, mentor and support the next generation.

The evening also will include a book sale and signing featuring All American Boys and Long Way Down. Event and registration information: cts.edu/events/faith-action-fall-event-2026

About the Faith & Action Project

Christian Theological Seminary’s Faith & Action Project serves as a catalyst for action to move people out of poverty, by educating, empowering and supporting Greater Indianapolis’ faith and community leaders. Through annual public events and grants, the Faith & Action Project seeks to ignite a solution-oriented movement for inclusive well-being in our community.

About Christian Theological Seminary

Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) is a fully-accredited ecumenical graduate school rooted in the Christian tradition and committed to developing leaders for the church and society. Through theological education, counseling, community engagement, and innovative initiatives, CTS equips individuals and communities to address the pressing challenges of the world with faith, wisdom, and courage.

###

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Stephanie Seeger

Communications Department

Christian Theological Seminary

ss*****@*ts.edu

Just Preachers, Just Preaching: CTS Conference Explores the Craft, Character, and Calling of Preaching

MMPC 2026: Just Preachers, Just Preaching 

 

The Mixed Methods Preaching Conference invites preachers, ministry leaders, scholars, students, and curious learners to step away from the rush of daily responsibilities and enter a thoughtful, energizing space devoted to the craft, character, and calling of preaching. 

Presented by Christian Theological Seminary and directed by Rev. Courtney V. Buggs, PhD, this 3.5-day gathering will bring participants together October 19–22, 2026 for preaching labs, plenary sessions, worship, conversation, and connection. 

For Dr. Buggs, this year’s theme Just Preachers, Just Preaching reaches beyond technique. “By the term just, I don’t mean ‘only,’” Buggs said. “I mean decent, ethical, honest, and the like.” The theme invites participants to consider preaching that is humane, rooted in the preacher’s lived witness, and attentive to both the inner and outer life of the preacher. 

“I wanted to explore how preachers attend to the inner and outer self, ethically, equitably, and with an orientation towards what is right, decent, and humane,” Buggs said. 

“Compelling preaching comes from more than the mechanics of the sermon, though the mechanics cannot be ignored,” Buggs said. 

That conviction shapes the heart of the conference. Participants will be invited to consider how a preacher’s inner life, convictions, worldview, faith, and public witness all shape the preaching moment. 

Throughout the gathering, participants will choose from preaching labs focused on timely and practical topics such as artificial intelligence, improvisation, disability, womanist preaching, and prophetic authenticity. These labs are designed to offer fresh perspective, practical learning, and room for honest conversation about preaching in today’s world. 

Featured conference labs include: 

• Artificial Intelligence and the Anointing: Tools, Theology, and Guardrails for Preachers 

• Preaching on the Fly: The Art of Homiletical Improvisation 

• Marginalized Bodies: A New Approach to Preaching about Disability 

• Womanist Preaching for Desperate Times 

• Preaching from an Authentic Center: Leaning into the Prophetic 

Rather than overwhelming participants with a single way to approach preaching, the conference will invite them into multiple methods, experiences, and traditions. Main preachers and lab leaders were selected by Dr. Buggs in conversation with clergy colleagues, with attention to leaders whose preaching is visibly connected to the way they live, teach, lead, and serve. 

“My hope is two-fold,” Buggs said. “First, I hope preachers pause to reflect upon their own preaching lives and how our lives preach as much as the words of the sermon. Second, I hope listeners of preaching reflect upon their expectations of preaching and how they, too, impact the preaching moment.” 

The Mixed Methods Preaching Conference began in 2019 under the leadership of Dr. Frank A. Thomas as an extension of CTS’s PhD Program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric. Building on that legacy, this fourth convening creates space for pastors, clearly, students, and all who care about preaching to renew their imagination and deepen their practice. Without leaving Indianapolis, participants will find opportunities to learn, reflect, and grow alongside others committed to the transformative work of preaching.  

 Registration includes daily meals, refreshments, and opportunities to engage in conversation, reflection, and fellowship with a diverse community of pastors, students, scholars, and ministry leaders who are committed to the art and vocation of preaching.  

For the full schedule, presenter updates, registration details, and additional information, visit https://www.cts.edu/events/cts-mixed-methods-preaching-conference-2026/. 

Investing in Hope: Faith & Action Project Awards $125,000 to Seven Community-Led Solutions

 

Christian Theological Seminary believes that poverty is one of the greatest challenges facing our community—but it is also one we can address together. 

Now celebrating ten years, the Faith & Action Project Grant Program invests in evidence-based, collaborative, and scalable initiatives already making a measurable impact in the Indianapolis community. It prioritizes faith and community partners addressing the complex realities of poverty through holistic solutions that promote long-term stability and well-being for individuals and families. 

Launched in 2015, the Faith & Action Project was created with the recognition that extraordinary work is already underway across our community—and that its impact grows when it is connected, amplified, and accelerated. 

Rather than funding isolated programs, the Faith & Action Project invests in a portfolio of collaborative solutions that strengthen the systems, relationships, and opportunities people need to thrive. Together, these organizations are expanding opportunity, strengthening stability, and building skills that help individuals and families flourish. 

This year, the Faith & Action Grants Program is proud to invest $125,000 in seven organizations whose work reflects both compassion and proven impact. Marking the tenth year of the grants program, this milestone reflects CTS’s ongoing commitment to strengthening community-driven solutions to poverty. 

“These organizations are demonstrating effective, relational approaches that lead to long-term transformation,” said Faith & Action Program Director Lindsey Nell Rabinowitch. “We are excited to highlight their best practices because they can be learned from, replicated, and scaled to increase positive outcomes for more youth, individuals, and families across our community and beyond.” 

Together, these investments support initiatives that expand opportunity, strengthen stability, and build the relationships and skills that help individuals and families thrive. 

The 2026 Faith & Action Grant recipients demonstrate the many ways faith-inspired organizations and community partners are working to reduce poverty and strengthen communities across Central Indiana. Although each organization serves a distinct population and need, their work aligns around four broad areas of impact: building opportunity for youth, strengthening housing stability and support, promoting healing and mental well-being, and strengthening families and communities. Together, these grants reflect the Faith & Action Project’s commitment to investing in collaborative solutions that foster belonging, resilience, and long-term community flourishing. The following profiles highlight each of this year’s grantees and the projects supported through the 2026 Faith & Action Grants Program. 

Building Opportunity for Youth 

DREAM Alive — $20,000
DREAM Alive empowers students attending Indianapolis Public Schools to discover their purpose, prepare for meaningful careers, and build lasting relationships with caring mentors. Beginning in sixth grade and continuing through high school graduation, students receive academic support, career exploration, and consistent mentorship that helps them envision a brighter future. 

This investment expands DREAM Alive’s reach across every IPS middle school, strengthens access to career exploration experiences through transportation support, and ensures students facing food insecurity receive consistent after-school meals and snacks. Through deep partnerships with schools, churches, universities, and community organizations, young people are surrounded by caring adults who open doors to opportunity and long-term economic mobility. 

Elevate Indianapolis — $20,000
Guided by the belief that “No one gets there alone,” Elevate Indianapolis pairs students with long-term Teacher-Mentors who walk alongside them through middle and high school. These relationships provide steady support through academic, social, and emotional development during formative years. 

This investment supports the creation of a welcoming “third space” where students can gather, build relationships, and experience belonging beyond home and school. A youth-designed mural will further shape the space as one defined by student voice, identity, and shared ownership—transforming environment into connection. 

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church — $20,000
Through its expansion of the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program, St. Luke’s is increasing access to six weeks of literacy-rich, relationship-centered learning for elementary students. The program blends academic enrichment with social-emotional development and family engagement, creating a holistic approach to early learning. 

This investment helps ensure more children experience a safe, supportive environment where literacy growth is paired with confidence-building relationships and a deeper sense of belonging—foundations that support long-term educational success. 

Strengthening Stability Through Housing and Support 

Outreach, Inc. — $20,000
Outreach, Inc. serves young people experiencing homelessness by meeting immediate needs while supporting long-term stability. Its Near Eastside drop-in center provides meals, showers, laundry, computers, case management, and a consistent community of care grounded in dignity and trust. 

This investment strengthens housing navigation, diversion, and triage services so more young people can secure stable housing before homelessness becomes chronic. By pairing practical support with individualized care, Outreach helps youth move from crisis toward stability. 

Healing, Belonging, and Mental Well-Being 

We Bloom — $20,000
We Bloom creates safe recovery spaces for individuals to heal, grow, and build community, recognizing that recovery and stability are deeply rooted in belonging and connection. 

This investment supports a trauma-informed recovery community at Recovery Café Indy, including a queer-affirming group, where participants can reduce isolation, process trauma, and rebuild social connection. At its core, this work strengthens the members mental health and well-being and builds relationships that make long-term healing possible. 

Indiana Youth Group (IYG) — $15,000
Indiana Youth Group provides affirming spaces where LGBTQ+ youth can find safety, support, and community amid significant barriers such as family rejection, housing instability, and limited access to resources. 

This investment expands mental health counseling and case management services, helping young people navigate complex systems while strengthening emotional well-being and social connectedness. Through consistent, individualized support, youth are better able to build resilience and avoid pathways that too often lead to long-term instability. 

Strengthening Families and Communities 

Tu Refugio Seguro — $10,000
Tu Refugio Seguro supports Spanish-speaking women and families impacted by domestic violence through culturally responsive care and pathways toward healing and economic stability. The organization addresses critical gaps for individuals navigating language, cultural, and systemic barriers. 

This investment expands trauma-informed leadership training across six congregations, equipping faith leaders and volunteers to recognize and respond to domestic violence and connect individuals to support. By strengthening trusted community networks, this work extends care far beyond a single organization and helps interrupt cycles of violence and instability. 

This year’s grant recipients reflect not only what works theoretically, but what is working in practice across our community. In lifting up these models, the Project seeks to strengthen a broader ecosystem of practice—one in which effective approaches are shared, adapted, and sustained across organizations and communities working toward the same goals. 

Together, these investments reflect a shared commitment to communities where hope is strengthened, opportunity is expanded, and individuals and families are supported on pathways toward lasting stability. The Faith & Action Project is honored to partner with these organizations in that work. 

 Mark your calendars! The Faith & Action Project will continue highlighting innovative responses to poverty at its Faith & Action Fall Event on October 27, featuring a moderated conversation with New York Times bestselling author and youth advocate Jason Reynolds. The event will explore expanding opportunity, resilience, and the role of relationships in helping young people thrive. Watch cts.edu/events for more information! 

Behind the Scenes of Chapel Planning at CTS 

Chapel Planning Invites Students into Worship Leadership and the Life of the Seminary Community

 

At Christian Theological Seminary, chapel is more than a weekly gathering. It is a carefully planned expression of the community’s academic life, spiritual formation, and shared commitments. For alumni and friends who wonder how worship comes together at CTS, the answer begins with collaboration. 

CTS President Dr. David Mellott serves as Chapel Director and sets the chapel schedule for the year, including readings, presiders, and preachers. The process considers the lectionary, the president’s annual theme, the academic calendar, and moments in the life of the seminary community. If a retirement, community luncheon, special observance, or other shared milestones need to be held in prayer and celebration, chapel planning makes room for it. 

Mellott consults with faculty colleagues including Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen, Indiana Christian Church Associate Professor of New Testament and Director of the Master of Divinity Program, and Dr. Timothy McNinch, Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible and Director of the Master of Theological Studies Program, to help bring continuity and connection to the year’s readings and themes. In this way, chapel worship remains closely connected to the classroom while also creating space for prayer, proclamation, music, testimony, and embodied community life. 

Meghan McConnell, Chapel Assistant and MDiv student, describes chapel as “the endeavor of a really great team of people.” She notes that Dr. Mellott is “very sincere, thoughtful, and considerate not only of how individual services are designed, but how community worship balances our academic experiences with the necessary spiritual formation.” His leadership, she said, keeps the chapel team “focused and grounded in the love of our liberating God.” 

Rev. Ayanna L. Garrett, Associate Dean for Student Life, helps coordinate hospitality, student testimony, and other elements that make chapel worship distinctive. McConnell said Garrett brings “great energy and perspective” to the planning process, helping with behind-the-scenes connections and contributing creativity that supports the whole community’s worship life. 

Music is another essential part of that shared work. Rev. John Ray, Chapel Music Director, is responsible for chapel music and musicians. According to McConnell Ray brings “a real consideration of how to set the mood for our services,” often crafting musical experiences that connect worshipers immediately to the tone and meaning of a service. Even in a chapel space that can be acoustically challenging, she said, Ray and the musicians “show up and work miracles in their ministry of song.” 

For the Chapel Assistant, much of the work is logistical: coordinating with ministers, preparing the chapel space, assembling the order of worship, setting up, and tearing down. But the role also offers opportunities to contribute prayers, coordinate student ministers, and participate in the rhythms of worship. “I spent about six months learning how to sound the chapel bells before service,” she said, “but now it’s one of my favorite parts of my role.” 

One of the clearest priorities in chapel planning is student involvement. Because CTS is a seminary, the chapel team seeks to invite students into the worship process as readers, artists, witnesses, liturgical leaders, and student ministers. Students are recruited in a variety of ways, including online signups, flyers in classrooms and student spaces, invitations connected to faculty participants, and outreach tied to monthly themes or observances. 

That intentionality matters. McConnell said she tries to invite students who may not have considered serving before, especially when a theme such as LGBTQ+ observance, Black History Month, or Disability Awareness Month offers an opportunity for students to bring meaningful connections into worship leadership. “It is important to honor the ways in which we are a beautifully diverse community and to see that embodied in how we come together in Chapel,” she said. 

The year’s themes can take shape in many ways. McConnell pointed to last year’s focus on stories of salvation and the recurring image of water. That theme appeared in the chapel space through a basin of water placed at the back of the room as a reminder of baptism. It also flowed through music selections such as “Wade in the Water” and “Peace Like a River,” and through the preaching and interpretation offered across different services. 

The result is a planning process that is both structured and dynamic. Readings, music, testimony, preaching, calendar needs, and community gifts are all woven together in a way that reflects the life of CTS. As Mellott noted in the planning materials, the chapel team tries to use the gifts and specialties of staff and faculty, while also making space for students to lead and serve. 

For alumni, chapel may be remembered as a place of music, preaching, prayer, and community. For current students, it is also a place to practice ministry, discover gifts, and join others in shaping worship. Behind each service is a team committed to making chapel a space where academic formation and spiritual formation meet. 

“There is something at CTS for everyone,” Mellott said. In chapel, that spirit becomes visible: in the readings chosen, the songs sung, the students invited forward, and the community gathered in worship. 

Testify! Project Moves from Planning to Public Witness 

 

Since launching earlier this year, the Testify! Project has continued to grow into a distinctive and inspiring program rooted in faith, storytelling, and artistic expression. Funded through the Lilly Endowment National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life, Testify! invites participants to “show and tell the living scripture” through creative forms of Christian testimony. 

Testify! celebrates the creative energy emerging in Black Christianity, where artists are not only making beauty but also proclaiming witness. Through music, writing, visual art, spoken word, and other creative practices, the project helps people explore how faith stories can be shared in fresh and meaningful ways. 

The project moved from planning to implementation in June with its inaugural retreat on June 12–13 at the Prindle Institute for Ethics. More than 20 artists attended, including the first seven artists who will be featured in the fall Testify! Live event. Retreat sessions centered on Luke 8, highlighting themes of creation, healing, comfort, transformation, rest, belonging, and commissioning. 

That work will move into public witness this fall with Testify! Live, the project’s flagship gathering, on October 2 at Eastern Star Church in Indianapolis. The event will bring testimony to life through music, visual art, spoken word, dance, and other creative expressions, including original works developed through collaboration between artists and people sharing stories of faith. Indianapolis will host the first of five Testify! Live gatherings planned across the country through 2030, creating opportunities for individual stories of faith to become a shared experience of testimony, art, and community. 

“Show and tell the living scripture.” 

The Testify! team is led by Grant Director Dr. Nick Peterson, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Worship and Assistant Director of the PhD in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric Program at CTS. The team also includes co-developer and Artistic Director Julian Davis Reid and National Program Director Katrina Owens. 

2026 Mixed Methods Preaching Conference Monday, October 19 through Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Light of the World Christian Church in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, UNITED STATES, May 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) will present the 2026 Mixed Methods Preaching Conference, “Just Preachers, Just Preaching, from Monday, October 19 through Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Light of the World Christian Church in Indianapolis. The conference is supported through a” grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Compelling Preaching Initiative and will gather preachers, ministry leaders, scholars, students, and listeners of preaching for an immersive exploration of the craft, calling, and character of preaching.

Bringing together preachers, ministry leaders, scholars, students, and engaged listeners, the conference will offer three and a half days of immersive learning, reflection, worship, and practical engagement centered on the art and calling of preaching. This year’s conference theme, “Just Preachers, Just Preaching”, explores the reality that preaching is shaped not only by method and technique, but also by the life, values, and theological commitments of the preacher.

“We want to explore the personhood of preachers – and how that translates to the preaching moment,” said Dr. Courtney Buggs, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Director of the PhD Program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric at CTS said about the fall Mixed Methods Preaching Conference (MMPC). She is in her first year as Convener of the Conference.

Participants will engage in a dynamic schedule featuring morning plenary lectures and presentations, afternoon preaching laboratory experiences, and evening worship services open to the broader community.

A distinctive feature of the conference is its Preaching Lab experience, where participants are placed in small, immersive cohorts designed to foster deep learning and interaction. Available lab topics include:
• Artificial Intelligence and the Anointing: Tools, Theology, and Guardrails for Preachers
• Preaching on the Fly: The Art of Homiletical Improvisation
• Marginalized Bodies: A New Approach to Preaching about Disability
• Womanist Preaching for Desperate Times

Each lab is limited in size to encourage substantive discussion and engagement. The conference also continues the work of CTS’ Compelling Preaching Initiative by actively incorporating the perspectives of those who hear sermons. Throughout the event, participants will have opportunities to contribute to a listener research initiative through surveys, conversations, and dedicated engagement spaces designed to better understand what makes preaching compelling.

The Mixed Methods Preaching Conference welcomes:
• Clergy and preachers seeking renewal and continuing education
• Ministry leaders and theological educators
• Seminary and doctoral students
• Individuals interested in exploring the impact and practice of preaching

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will also be available through CTS. Institutions, congregations, and denominational bodies are encouraged to support clergy and ministry staff participation as part of continuing education and professional formation efforts. Additional information can be found here.

About Christian Theological Seminary
Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) is an ecumenical seminary rooted in the Christian tradition and committed to developing leaders for the church and society. Through theological education, counseling, community engagement, and innovative initiatives, CTS equips individuals and communities to address the pressing challenges of the world with faith, wisdom, and courage.

About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic 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. The 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. In addition, 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.

Stephanie Seeger
Christian Theological Seminary
ss*****@*ts.edu