Applications Available for Young People’s Racial Justice Projects

NASHVILLE, Tenn. September 21, 2017 /Discipleship Ministries/ —Applications are now available for grants to help United Methodist young people with a passion for racial justice to initiate projects that can impact their church, community and world.

Grants up to $2,500 per project will provide seed money to support efforts that can be leveraged by others to inspire and resource young people across the church. The new program to be administered by Young People’s Ministries (YPM), a unit of Discipleship Ministries.

“The availability of these grants launch an opportunity for young people in our church to impact racism locally and beyond as they share their experiences through the grant reporting process,” said Michael Ratliff, Associate General Secretary at Discipleship Ministries and head of the YPM unit. “The culminating effect of these projects is to create a movement in culture to share God’s all-encompassing love with all God’s people.”

A total of $65,000 has been allocated for grants to support the racial justice projects, including $50,000 from the Connectional Table and $5,000 each from Discipleship Ministries, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry and General Commission on Religion and Race.

The grants will provide seed money to bring the innovative ideas of young people to life and spread those ideas across the church impacting a world that often is reactionary rather than proactively loving, Ratliff said.

The first deadline for submission is Oct. 15, with notification expected by the end of the month and funding available by Nov. 15. This pattern will follow each month for the next year, or when funding is exhausted. To apply for a grant, go to https://ypm-umc.fluidreview.com/.

A diverse review group composed of members of the Division on Ministries with Young People (DMYP) and other young people recruited specifically for this purpose will determine which grant applications will be funded.

The mission of Discipleship Ministries is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, Discipleship Ministries is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit www.UMCdiscipleship.org, the Press Center at www.UMCdiscipleship.org/about/press-center or call the Communications Office at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 1726.

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