Lilly Endowment Inc. Awards $1.25 Million Grant to Expand Day1’s Reach and Impact

Atlanta, GA, Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Alliance for Christian Media (ACM), in partnership with First Presbyterian Church of Marietta (FPC Marietta), will expand the reach and long-term impact of Day1, its nationally distributed Christian preaching and media ministry with roots stretching back more than 80 years. The project is supported by a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to FPC Marietta, which will serve as the ecclesial partner and legal grantee.

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The grant, awarded through Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative, will support a major effort to expand Day1’s audience, digital programming and access to compelling Christian preaching.

“We are deeply grateful to Lilly Endowment for this extraordinary investment in the future of Day1 and to First Presbyterian Church of Marietta for this partnership,” said the Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime, President and CEO of the Alliance for Christian Media and Executive Producer and Host of Day1. “For more than 80 years, Day1 has carried thoughtful Christian preaching beyond the walls of the church and into the public square. This support gives us the opportunity to build boldly on that legacy and reach new generations in the places and through the media where they are listening and watching today.”

The grant will accelerate a period of significant growth and transformation for Day1, supporting three primary areas:

• EXPANDING DIGITAL REACH: Day1 will expand full-length video production for its weekly sermons and interviews, alongside its longstanding national radio broadcast and growing podcast presence, while increasing digital marketing and audience development to reach younger and spiritually curious audiences.
• BRINGING 80+ YEARS OF PREACHING TO NEW GENERATIONS: Building on its partnership with Pitts Theology Library at Emory University, Day1 will expand access to more than 4,000 digitized sermons from The Protestant Hour and Day1 archive and launch a Homileticians-in-Residence initiative connecting historic preaching with contemporary life.
• PRESERVING MORE HISTORIC VOICES: The initiative will support the first phase of work to preserve and digitize historic sermon materials from Ebenezer Baptist Church in partnership with Pitts Theology Library.

The investment comes amid substantial momentum for Day1. In 2025, the ministry reached nearly 300,000 people across measurable digital channels, not including its radio audience. Podcast downloads increased 15 percent during the year, followed by 51 percent year-over-year growth in the first quarter of 2026. Day1 has also seen significant growth in video engagement, underscoring the opportunity to reach new audiences through emerging media.

“As a church committed to changing lives through faith, hope and love, we feel blessed to be able to contribute to the growth of a ministry as impactful as Day1,” said the Rev. Dr. Joe Evans, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Marietta. “Day1 brings the good news of Jesus Christ to an incredibly broad audience through engaging interviews and powerful sermons. Thanks to the generosity of the Lilly Foundation, we can continue to build upon that legacy by developing dynamic and creative content, while also ensuring that notable sermons from the past continue to reach and inspire new audiences.”

Founded in 1945 as The Protestant Hour, Day1 has spent more than eight decades bringing Christian preaching and conversation to audiences across the country. Today, the ministry reaches people through radio, podcasting, video and digital platforms while preserving one of the nation’s significant collections of Protestant preaching.

“At a time when so many people are searching for thoughtful, trustworthy voices of faith, the need for compelling preaching has never felt more important,” Kime said. “This grant will help Day1 carry that preaching beyond the walls of the church, reach people in new ways, and ensure this ministry continues to serve and inspire generations to come.”

About Day1 and the Alliance for Christian Media

Day1 is the flagship ministry of the Alliance for Christian Media, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with Christian believers and those curious about the Christian faith through traditional and emerging forms of communication. Founded in 1945 as The Protestant Hour, Day1 today shares thoughtful preaching and conversations through radio, podcasting, video and digital platforms. Learn more at Day1.org.

About First Presbyterian Church of Marietta

First Presbyterian Church of Marietta is a historic congregation in Marietta, Georgia, committed to Christian worship, theological formation, service and public engagement. A long-time supporter of Day1, the congregation serves as the ecclesial partner and legal grantee for this initiative.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment 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.

Media Contact

Evyenia Constantine, Director of Communications
Alliance for Christian Media / Day1
404-490-3354
Day1.org

Press Inquiries

Evyenia Constantine, Director of Communications
Alliance for Christian Media / Day1
evyenia [at] day1.org
https://day1.org
4062 Peachtree Road NE, Suite A-629, Atlanta, GA 30319