Dear Friends,
I am pleased to announce that Parish Mission Grants will again be available for 2018, and that applications are currently being accepted. The Parish Mission Grants are intended to help fund initiatives aimed at enhancing evangelism and mission through person-to-person interaction with those the parish seeks to serve, as well as programs designed to promote racial reconciliation in our neighborhoods.
There are two changes to the grant criteria for this year:
- Grants may be awarded for the expansion or support of existing programs.
- In certain circumstances, particularly in small parishes with limited lay leadership, funds may be used to support clergy participation in the mission.
Grants will typically range between $1,000 and $5,000 and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis, until the designated funds are depleted. Please refer to the 2018 Parish Mission Grant Application (link goes to a Word document) for details.
What can your parish do with a Parish Mission Grant? The possibilities are endless, but here is one example … In March 2017, with the help of a Parish Mission Grant, St. Peter's (Blairsville) started a Laundry Love ministry in its community. One Sunday a month, they spend two to three hours at a local laundromat, providing quarters and laundry supplies for people who could not otherwise afford to have clean clothes and bedding. They now serve ten families regularly, with that number expected to grow throughout the coming year. St. Peter's Kathy Baird explains, "Beyond the practical delivery of financial assistance which fills a social service gap, it also brings the word of Jesus to those who are open to it, yet may not be quite ready yet to step into a mainline church."
What needs do you observe in your neighborhood? How might God already be at work there, and how can you join Him in His mission? Who is He calling you to be, as an individual and as a faith community? What is He sending you into the world to do? If you haven't asked yourself and prayed about these questions lately, or discussed them within your parish, there is no better time to do it. If you need advice or support as you consider how to participate in God's mission, and whether a Parish Mission Grant can help, please don't hesitate to contact me.
In faith,
Kimberly Karashin, Canon for Mission