calendar January 16, 2019 in Congregations, Faith in action, Giving

Forward Together in Faith Grants Awarded

The Synod has awarded $26,000 in grants funded by the Forward Together in Faith Campaign to 11 projects designed to network congregations and communities, start innovative ministries, enhance their communications, or equip leaders for ministry in the 21st Century.

“We had many creative proposals and a limited amount of grant funds,” said Bishop Patricia A. Davenport. “We could have awarded several times our budget.”

The $26,000 represents investment earnings for 2018 from the proceeds of the Synod’s Forward Together in Faith capital campaign. Two of the proposals were fully funded; the rest were partially funded.

Congratulations to our first Forward Together in Faith grant recipients:

  • The Central Philadelphia Conference, which was awarded $2,500 for a collaborative project to improve communications within the conference by setting up a conference domain and website, a shared G-Suite collaboration platform, and funds to help congregations take advantage of these tools.
  • The Welcome Church, our church-without-walls ministering with people experiencing homelessness, was awarded $3,000 to help develop a peer support program, networked with two other street ministries, that will empower people experiencing homelessness to provide faith-based peer support.
  • Trinity, Lansdale, was awarded $3,000 to develop Innovation Labs to equip rostered and lay leaders to design and implement new and potentially transformative faith formation activities.
  • Tabor, Philadelphia and St. Paul’s, Olney, were awarded $2,000 to develop new collaborations, including expanding the reach of their community meals and food pantries.
  • One of our newest starts, Kairos Communities in Quakertown, was awarded $1,900 to help establish a local worship service and spiritual community for people in recovery and families touched by the opioid epidemic.
  • Atonement, Fishtown, was awarded $2,500 to support “The Shape of Discipleship,” a two-year journey to equip the pastor and congregation to explore ways of creating positive and adaptive change.
  • St. Luke, Devon, will receive $3,500 to establish “Third Act Ministry: A Ministry By and For Seniors,” to connect with residents the many retirement facilities in their community and establish worship and retreats specifically for seniors.
  • St. John in Blue Bell was awarded $1,000 to establish a community-wide Day of Service honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
  • St. Peter’s in Riegelsville was awarded $3,100 for their “Beyond Our Walls” project to create a website with the ability to share video sermons and stories and start live-streams from worship.
  • Redemption, Philadelphia will receive $2,500 for its Community Engagement Project which will include additional signage, advertisements on Google and Facebook, and equipment to produce videos and live streams.
  • Calvary and Advent in West Chester were awarded $1,000 to help establish a community Pickleball fellowship to meet several times a month at Advent.

You can help support more grants like these by making a contribution to the Forward Together in Faith fund. Visit ministrylink.org/give to learn more and make a tax-deductible contribution.