The Mission and Justice Grant Committee has awarded $28,250 in matching grants to 13 churches to support their ministries with the underserved. In order to receive a matching grant, churches must address one or more of the following areas:
• Identify with the poor within their communities and implement a “personal” form of ministry.
• Develop ministry at the local level that empowers those in poverty through education and other means.
• Emphasize the inclusion of the impoverished in ministry programming that fosters relationships.
• See the poor as participants in the program ministry, as well as recipients of the program ministry.
Recipients of this year’s grants are:
• Clay City First UMC – $1,750 Food Pantry Ministry
• Bowling Green UMC – $1,750 Backpack Food Program
• Mt. Pleasant UMC – $1,500 Preschool Scholarships
• Barnes UMC – $1,750 Community Resource Day
• Lapel Ford Street UMC – $2,000 Supply Store
• Osceola UMC – $2,000 Backpack Blessing Program
• North Judson UMC – $2,000 Kid’s Closet Ministry
• Fort Wayne Faith UMC – $2,000 Wednesday Night Basketball Ministry
The following churches had exceptionally well written grant applications and were given extra consideration by the Grant Committee:
• Franklin Grace UMC – $2,500 Residents Encounter Christ
• Lifehouse Forest Park Campus – $2,500 Community Clinic
• First Wayne Street and Alive Community Outreach – $3,000 Homicide Co-Victims Support
• Park Memorial UMC – $2,500 Life-skill Training with the Homeless
• Kokomo Grace UMC – $3,000 Grace Coffee House, More Than A Coffee House
Ministry with the Poor Matching Grants are made possible because of funding from the Pyle Trust.