Grant Applications Due Sept. 1 for Local Church Racial/Ethnic Ministries

NASHVILLE, Tenn. June 28, 2018 /Discipleship Ministries/ – Applications for grants up to $10,000 to help local United Methodist churches build ministries that strengthen and support racial and ethnic church concerns are due on Sept. 1.

Racial Ethnic Local Church Concerns (RELCC) grants from Discipleship Ministries will be available for each year of the current quadrennium.

The purpose of the RELCC grants is to provide funding to strengthen the ethnic local church through leadership training, small groups, worship, stewardship and spiritual formation as they engage in developing disciple-making systems inside the church walls, as well as in the local community.

New programs and ministries that move churches to be places where disciples are formed, grow and make new disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world will receive priority.

To apply for a RELCC grant, go online at https://bit.ly/2xUreBy. Paper applications are available upon request, but priority will be given to applications submitted through the online system.

Applicants are encouraged to consult with Discipleship Ministries staff for guidance in preparing the application. For more information, contact Naomi Annandale, Director of Research and Strategic Evaluation, by phone at 615-340-1743 or by email at [email protected].

The ministry/project contained in the grant application must be a project of a local United Methodist church or of the United Methodist connectional system, and also must:

• Contribute directly to the mission and ministries of making disciples of Jesus Christ.
• Be consistent with the doctrine and social principles of the United Methodist 2016 Book of Discipline.
• Focus on developing and strengthening the racial ethnic local church for witness and mission.
• Involve racial ethnic church members in the planning, leadership and decision-making.
• Reflect Discipleship Ministries strategic priorities of strengthening disciple-making systems in the local church and/or engaging people outside the church

In addition, the ministry/project must be related to one or more of these essential services provided by the Discipleship Ministries’ ministry areas: accountable discipleship, Christian education, curriculum resources, evangelism, family and life-span ministries, lay ministries, leadership development, spiritual formation, stewardship and worship.

Priority will be given to new programs rather than programs that have been previously funded. Funds are not provided for personnel and equipment.

For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2yQranF.

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.