Religions Around The World

In the early morning hours, monks can be seen walking on their alms round in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Showing humility and detachment from worldly goods, the monk walks slowly and only stops if he is called. Standing quietly, with his bowl open, the local Buddhists give him rice, or flowers, or an envelope containing money.  In return, the monks bless the local Buddhists and wish them a long and fruitful life.
Christians Celebrate Good Friday
Enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in St. Mary's Church in Secunderabad, India. Only 2.3% of India's population is Christian. 
Ancient interior mosaic in the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora
The Church of the Holy Saviour in Istanbul, Turkey is a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church.
Dome of the Rock located in the Old City of Jerusalem
The site's great significance for Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to the creation of the world and to the belief that the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven started from the rock at the center of the structure.
Holi Festival in Mathura, India
Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the end of winter. Also known as the “festival of colors”,  Holi is primarily observed in South Asia but has spread across the world in celebration of love and the changing of the seasons.
Jewish father and daughter pray at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel.
Known in Hebrew as the Western Wall, it is one of the holiest sites in the world. The description, "place of weeping", originated from the Jewish practice of mourning the destruction of the Temple and praying for its rebuilding at the site of the Western Wall.
People praying in Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan
The temple is dedicated to both Taoism and Buddhism.
People praying in the Grand Mosque in Ulu Cami
This is the most important mosque in Bursa, Turkey and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture built in 1399.
Savior Transfiguration Cathedral of the Savior Monastery of St. Euthymius
Located in Suzdal, Russia, this is a church rite of sanctification of apples and grapes in honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located in Kyoto, Japan
It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. Fushimi Inari is the most important Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.
Ladles at the purification fountain in the Hakone Shrine
Located in Hakone, Japan, this shrine is a Japanese Shinto shrine.  At the purification fountain, ritual washings are performed by individuals when they visit a shrine. This ritual symbolizes the inner purity necessary for a truly human and spiritual life.
Hanging Gardens of Haifa are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The Shrine of the Báb is where the remains of the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been buried; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís.
Pilgrims praying at the Pool of the Nectar of Immortality and Golden Temple
Located in Amritsar, India, the Golden Temple is one of the most revered spiritual sites of Sikhism. It is a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to worship God equally. Over 100,000 people visit the shrine daily.
Entrance gateway of Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple Kowloon
Located in Hong Kong, China, the temple is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim.
Christian women worship at a church in Bois Neus, Haiti.
Haiti's population is 94.8 percent Christian, primarily Catholic. This makes them one of the most heavily Christian countries in the world.

World Religions News

Our Daily Bread Ministries awarded $5M grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. for Witness & Wonder initiative

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODBM) has received a grant of $5M from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support its Witness & Wonder: Everyday Encounters with God initiative – a four-year storytelling initiative designed to help young adults (ages 18–34) encounter, know, and love God through real-life stories of vibrant faith. The project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life 2025. 

“The gap between faith and everyday life for young adults continues to widen,” said Dr. Matt Lucas, CEO of Our Daily Bread Ministries. “Witness & Wonder steps directly into that gap with honest, emotionally resonant stories that show how God meets people in the middle of real questions, struggles, and hopes. Our desire is to help a new generation see that Christian faith is deeply relevant and spiritually transformative in today’s world.”

As part of the initiative, ODBM will produce and distribute more than 200 original multimedia storytelling resources and more than 600 social media resources. These will include short-form videos, podcasts, thematic Bible content, digital Bible engagement tools and derivative media designed for platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Featuring people from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, life experiences, and cultures, each resource is crafted to reflect the questions, struggles, and spiritual hunger of today’s young adults.

“Many in this generation are navigating big questions about meaning, purpose, and truth,” said Dave Gavette, Vice President of Media Programs. “With innovative media and multi-tiered content journeys, Witness & Wonder features everyday people whose faith shapes their choices, relationships, and daily rhythms. These stories reveal how God is at work in ordinary moments and invite young adults to encounter Him in meaningful, personal ways.”

ODBM is one of 60 organizations from across the United States that have received grants through the initiative since 2024. The groups include media organizations, denominational judicatories, church networks, publishers, educational institutions, congregations and other nonprofit charitable organizations.

The aim of Lilly Endowment’s National Initiative on Christian Faith and Life is to help organizations identify, produce and share with a wide variety of audiences compelling stories that portray the vibrancy and hope of Christian faith and life.

###

About Lilly Endowment Inc.: Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based 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. Although the gifts of stock remain a 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 founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A primary aim of its grantmaking in religion is to deepen the religious lives of Christians, principally by supporting efforts that enhance congregational vitality and strengthen the leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment values the broad diversity of Christian traditions and endeavors to support them in a wide variety of contexts. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion by encouraging fair, accurate and balanced portrayals of the positive and negative effects of religion on the world and lifting up the contributions that people of all faiths make to our greater civic well-being.

About Our Daily Bread Ministries: Our Daily Bread Ministries is a donor-supported, global Bible engagement ministry with a staff of 700 serving in 32 offices to distribute more than 60 million resources each year in 58 languages throughout 150 countries. Often known for its global devotional, the ministry produces long- and short-form Bible content across print, video, audio, and digital platforms to help people connect with God every day in every way. For more than 87 years, the ministry’s mission has remained the same: to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.

Contact:
Jennifer VerHage
Our Daily Bread Ministries
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RNS or Religion News Foundation.

Original Source:

https://religionnews.com/2025/12/16/our-daily-bread-ministries-awarded-5m-grant-from-lilly-endowment-inc-for-witness-wonder-initiative/