The NEXUS Institute

The NEXUS Institute is a week-long theology institute for high school students. This life-changing experience of community and learning focuses on engaging young people to explore and consider ministry vocations. Passionate pastors, theology professors, and trained college mentors welcome and walk alongside participants for a week full of meaningful learning, discussions, and fun.

A typical day at NEXUS:

• Breakfast
• Morning Worship
• Old Testament
• New Testament
• Small Groups
• Lunch
• Afternoon Adventure
• Dinner
• Now Class
• NEXUS Late Night
• Small Groups
• Evening Worship

The NEXUS Institute is funded by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., with the endowment’s mission of “promoting and supporting religious, educational or charitable purposes.” The heart of NEXUS engaging our young people theologically and giving them opportunities to explore God’s vocational call to ministry, all within a supportive learning community, is for the purpose of raising up future church leaders. NEXUS is a program of Grand View University in Des Moines, IA, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

The NEXUS Institute affirms the existence and importance of the larger body of Christ, all those who call Jesus Lord and Savior. Each summer, we focus our theological learning on the Christian scriptures and also practical ministry skills. NEXUS aims to serve the larger Lutheran family (per the original Lilly grant) to inspire and cultivate future ministry leaders in order to further all traditions’ mission to bring the gospel into the world.

Please see our list of current partners and sponsors below.

Our Primary Partners & Sponsors, as of 2020:

• Lilly Foundation - lillyendowment.org
• Grand View University - grandview.edu
• North American Lutheran Church (NALC) – thenalc.org
• Luther Memorial Church of Des Moines, IA – luthermemorialdsm.org
• Trinity Lutheran Church of Ashland, OH – trinityashland.org
• Lutheran CORE - lutherancore.website 
• 1517 – 1517.org
• Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) – lcmc.net
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) - elca.org

If you or an organization are interested in supporting additional NEXUS weeks, please reach out to us.

The NEXUS Institute will be July 21-27, 2024.

Applicants must be currently in high school, love Jesus, and want to grow in their faith and understanding. Preference is given to applicants who express an interest in or openness to working in ministry. All applicants will need to indicate two non-family references.

Apply to the NEXUS Institute

Just a $100 registration fee. Participants will have to provide their own transportation to Des Moines, Iowa.

The NEXUS Institute is made possible through a generous grant as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s High School Youth Theology Institutes initiative. Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family, J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli. Through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company supports the causes of religion, education, and community development. They seek to deepen and enrich the religious lives of American Christians, largely through initiatives to enhance and sustain the quality of ministry in American congregations and parishes.

To see a list of our supporters, check out our “Who are NEXUS Partners, and who is NEXUS for” tab above.

1. Find those students you know would benefit from this and tell them they should apply!
2. Nominate a student who should be a part of NEXUS!
3. Consider attending NEXUS to check it out. (see adult visitor information below)

Adult Attendee

Download Adult Visitor Guidelines

Adult Visitor Application

If you are a current college or seminary student, consider applying as a NEXUS Mentor. NEXUS Institute college mentors are key players who contribute to participants’ overall experience of Christian community of learning and fellowship by sharing faith, walking alongside as they ask questions and seek understanding, encouraging participants in all areas, and especially supporting participants’ enthusiasm for their own potential as active ministers of the good news of the gospel.

Does this sound like you? Apply today! 

Nexus Mentor Job Description 

APPLY TO BE A NEXUS MENTOR

There are several other ways for you to be involved with NEXUS, including participating as a:

• Speaker
• Project overseer
• Local connection

If you’ve got other ideas or want to know more, please contact us. We’d love to hear from you!

We would like to continue providing NEXUS at little-to-no cost for participants. We believe this will have a tremendous impact on the future Church and would love to have you partner with us and what God is doing through The NEXUS Institute!

You can donate to NEXUS here

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