Santa Clara University’s Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries (GPPM) is excited to announce our new summer clinic: Walking Together: Cultivating Leadership for Today’s Church, a program designed to cultivate shared leadership, deepen intercultural awareness, and strengthen pastoral practice in today’s Church. Walking Together is fully funded through the Lilly Grant Thriving Congregations Initiative and is totally cost free for participants. The program is grounded in a vision of a synodal and intercultural church that listens attentively, walks together in accompaniment, and responds creatively to the realities of parish life.
This exciting team-based, leadership development opportunity consists of two parts:
- Part one is a four-day, immersive summer clinic held at Santa Clara University. Running from June 22 - 25, 2026, the clinic’s immersive format is designed to provide a deep communal learning experience that emphasizes encounter, reflection, and lived practice.
- The summer clinic is followed by a 12-month facilitated online learning community. Monthly online meetings provide real-time support and shared learning with others who completed the summer clinic. Mutually agreeable meeting times will be arranged by the facilitator.
Dates & Logistics
- Dates: Monday, June 22 – Thursday, June 25, 2026
- Arrival: By 2:00 PM on Monday, June 22
- Departure: After 2:00 PM on Thursday, June 25
- Format: Clinic Intensive fully onsite; 12-month Learning Community (online)
- Participants: Parish teams of 3–5 persons (Pastor must be available for all sessions)
- Capacity: Space is limited
Eligibility
Parish teams of 3-5 persons must commit to be present for the full duration of the summer clinic and all follow-up monthly meetings of the online learning community.
Parish teams must include a pastor who is available for the full program experience (summer clinic and online learning community).
Space is limited. Apply now!
How to apply
Parishes interested in participating are invited to complete the parish application form, which includes parish team information, readiness questions, and acknowledgment of clinic expectations.
Parishes will be contacted for a follow-up interview to review the application responses. Selected parishes will receive a formal acceptance letter with additional logistical details.
We hope this clinic will serve as a space of learning, encounter, and renewal—supporting parishes as they continue to grow as communities of welcome, accompaniment, and mission.
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 five-year project is being funded through the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. The initiative aims to encourage the flourishing of congregations by helping them deepen their relationships with God, enhance their connections with each other, and contribute to the vitality of their communities and the world.