wfn.org | Twelve ministries to receive grants for projects serving young

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June 5, 1998       Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
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By United Methodist News Service

Twelve United Methodist ministries in the United States and Africa have
been awarded $41,190 in mini-grants to support cutting-edge ministries
with young people 

The mini-grants use funds from the churchwide Shared Mission Focus on
Young People initiative. The one-time grants, ranging from $2,500 to
$5,000, will assist local churches, annual conferences in the United
States and Central Conferences abroad, cooperative parishes, ecumenical
shared ministries and United Methodist organizations working with
churches in programs for youth and young adults.

The Shared Mission Focus on Young People is a four-year, $3 million
initiative mandated by the 1996 General Conference. It is an effort by
the United Methodist Church to reorder its priorities and concentrate on
the needs of people ages 12 to 30. The emphasis aims to enable young
people to become full participants in the denomination's life and work.
A 19-member team, comprising youth and young adults from the United
States, Africa, the Philippines and Sweden, has been charged with moving
the United Methodist Church toward a vision and commitment to young
people. 

Mini-grant recipients are:
*	Liberia Annual Conference, $5,000, to support the Promoting
Reconciliation Among Youths (PRAY) project; and
*	East Africa Annual Conference (Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda
and Sudan), $5,000, to support the Youth Carpentry Workshop.

The remaining 10 mini-grants were given to ministries in the United
States. They are:
*	Native American International Caucus, $3,500, to support the
convening of workshops and a panel of young people to discuss critical
issues during the Native American Family Camp in July;
*	Church of the Cross, Kettering, Ohio, $1,300, to support a
puppet and clowning ministry that will provide workshops around the West
Ohio Annual Conference addressing the concerns of young people;
*	Indian River United Methodist Church, Indian River, Mich.,
$2,500, to support staffing expenses and registration fees connected
with an ecumenical nature camp for youth that will provide opportunities
for spiritual growth and dialogue on teen-related issues, with Native
Americans being the primary group served;
*	Christ United Methodist Church of the Deaf, Baltimore, $2,890,
to help cover the cost for blind and deaf young people in the
Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference to attend a church-sponsored camp
July 12-15, focusing on spiritual growth and relationship building;
*	Paducah/McCracken United Methodist Mission, Paducah, Ky.,
$4,000, to provide resources for an interracial forum, as part of a
series of ecumenical dialogue sessions for young people from 15 United
Methodist churches, the local African Methodist Episcopal Church and the
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church;
*	Korean United Methodist Church, Austin, Texas, $3,000, to buy a
computer for a new project serving local Korean college students and
focusing on Bible study, discussion on critical topics and community
building;
*	University United Methodist Church, Irvine, Calif., $3,500, for
"College Outreach," a ministry that will provide a diverse group of
college students with a safe place to gather for spiritual development,
fellowship and educational opportunities;
*	Spencer Memorial United Methodist Church, Charlotte, N.C.,
$4,000 to support "Passing the Torch," a summer project focusing on
training future staff and leaders from among the local Southeast Asian
youth;
*	Oklahoma Metro Churches, Oklahoma City, $4,000, to support a
project serving Native American young people in four United Methodist
churches, with a focus on community building, spiritual growth, and a
special Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference event; and
*	St. Francis of the Foothills United Methodist Church, Tucson,
Ariz., $2,500, for start-up funds for  "Interfaith Cafe and Gallery," an
ecumenical project that will provide job skills, art ventures and
spiritual discovery to diverse young people from area high schools.

"I am extremely excited about the mini-grants because they are touching
the lives of young people throughout the world," said the Rev. Lillian
Smith, co-leader of the Shared Mission Focus on Young People team. "They
will provide congregations and other United Methodist ministries the
opportunity to more effectively respond to youth and young adults in
positive ways."

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
Releases and photos also available at
http://www.umc.org/umns/