wfn.org | Sixteen ethnic church projects receive grants

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

March 21, 2002	News media contact: Linda Green7(615)742-54707Nashville,
Tenn.     10-30-71B{122}

NOTE:  This report may be used as a sidebar to UMNS #121.  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - A United Methodist agency has awarded 16 grants
totaling $120,000 to projects and organizations serving various
racial-ethnic groups.  

During their March 13-17 meeting, governing members of the Board of
Discipleship approved funding for United Methodist-sponsored projects that
ranged from small-group settings for racial and cultural minority prison
inmates to supporting a three-day convocation addressing domestic violence
in Puerto Rico. 

Ethnic local church projects that received funding approval for one year
are:  

Thomas Shockley Summer Youth Academy of Theology, Decatur, Ga. - $15,000 
(Ethnic group served: African American)
In the Thomas Shockley Summer Youth Academy, youth ages 12 to 14 participate
in a curriculum of United Methodist history, biblical and theological
studies, college and church visits, and community service, while exploring
God's call upon their lives for service in the United Methodist Church.

2002 Institute for Church Growth and Evangelism, St. Mark United Methodist
Church, Wichita, Kan. - $15,000 
(Ethnic group served: multiethnic)
St. Mark's 2002 Institute for Church Growth and Evangelism, Sept. 19-21,
will enable participants to develop an understanding of what it takes for
lay and clergy to be partners in ministry. They will receive models and
resources for congregational care, the assimilation and growth of new
members, visitation, prayer, small groups, age-level ministries and the
empowerment of laypeople for ministry.

Korean Graduate Student Summer Retreat for Evangelization, National
Association of Korean American United Methodists - $15,000 
(Ethnic group served: Asian)
The National Association of Korean American United Methodists will invite
300 students to attend a May 27-30 experience of learning and fellowship at
American University in Washington. The offerings will include courses on
Christianity, church history, United Methodist history, the Bible and
American culture. 

Enhancing Family Ministries, Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, San Juan -
$10,000 
(Ethnic group served: Hispanic)
A three-day "Convocation on Family Issues" is set for Sept. 20-22 at the
Interamerica University Metropolitan Campus in Puerto Rico. Domestic
violence will be one of the issues addressed.

Jubilee Youth Ministries, Miami Valley United Methodist Mission Society,
Dayton, Ohio - $10,000 
(Ethnic group served: African American)
The Mission Society will help the Jubilee Youth Ministries create a "New
Generation of Christian Leaders" by establishing a forum for youth spiritual
formation, youth leadership training, worship and youth empowerment, through
the Dayton West YMCA. 

Leadership and Spiritual Gifts Training, Black Methodists for Church
Renewal, Dayton, Ohio - $10,000 
(Ethnic group served: African American)
The Black Methodists for Church Renewal organization will support a
spiritual gifts training program at the national and jurisdictional levels.
Local church leaders will be trained in how to help local church members
identify their spiritual gifts.

Choctaw Eagle's Nest, Choctaw Indian Mission, Choctaw, Miss. - $7,000 
(Ethnic group served: Native American)
The Choctaw Eagle's Nest is a Saturday school for mission outreach to
underprivileged children.  The ministry includes Bible stories followed by a
meal and recreational activities. Plans for expansion of the ministry
include starting a children's choir and a tutoring program.

Anniversary Program and Campus Lunch Ministry, Greater Pittsburgh Korean
United Methodist Church, Pittsburgh - $5,000 
(Ethnic group served: Asian)
Greater Pittsburgh Korean United Methodist Church will use the money to
support evangelistic ministries of the church. The church celebrates its
first anniversary in 2002, and the congregation is developing special
programs for the anniversary to reach out to the Korean-American community
in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The money also will be used to help the
church continue its Campus Lunch Ministry, which provides a box lunch for
students at Carnegie-Mellon University where 30 percent, or 6,000, of the
students are Asian.

Disciple Bible Outreach Ministries of North Carolina, Archdale, N.C. -
$5,000 
(Ethnic group served: multiethnic)
Disciple Bible Outreach Ministries will use the money to support its prison,
church and faithful friends Disciple Bible ministries programs.

New Life Ministry, New Zion Center of Hope Church, Ellicott City, Md. -
$5,000
(Ethnic group served: African American)
Grant money will be used to support leadership development workshops for
laypeople in the areas of general leadership development, administrative
skills, community organization skills, human development skills and
stewardship development. 

Prison Outreach Ministry, Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference - $5,000  
(Ethnic group served: multiethnic)
The grant money will support the Prison Outreach Ministry of the Western
Pennsylvania Annual Conference in its effort to provide Disciple Bible study
in a small-group setting for racial and cultural minority prison inmates.  

Remembering Our Heritage: Native and Christian, Native American
International Caucus of the United Methodist Church - $5,000 
(Ethnic group served: Native American)
The Native American International Caucus will use grant funds to support the
2002 National Native American Family Camp, July 15-19. The family oriented
camp for Native American families is designed to look at and appreciate the
heritage of Native Americans; to strengthen the family in Christian
discipleship; to affirm the spirituality of Native American people; and to
provide an environment where participants can explore their unique gifts.

Lay Missioner Pastor-Mentor Training, Illinois Great Rivers Annual
Conference - $4,000 
(Ethnic group served: Hispanic)
The money will be used to underwrite the costs of a January 2002
Lay-Missioner Pastor-Mentor Training. Those trained at that event now form a
core group that will sustain Hispanic communities of faith throughout the
Illinois Great Rivers Conference.

Japanese Community Ecumenical Broadcasting Project, Oahi Nichigo Ministry,
Honolulu - $3,000 
(Ethnic group served: Asian)
The money will be used to underwrite the cost of providing "Life Line," a
Christian television program in Hawaii for Japanese-speaking people and
operated by three Japanese churches. 

We Are on Noah's Ark: A Multi-Asian Children's Theater Workshop, Santa
Monica, Calif. - $3,000  
(Ethnic group served: Asian)
The "Multi-Asian Children's Theater Workshop" will encourage children from
different Asian cultures to learn creative ways to communicate and express
themselves in a supportive church environment. Groups of 40 to 60 children
from three different Asian churches will each produce and perform a musical
play of "Noah's Ark" in English.

Native American Retreat, Tennessee Conference Council on Native American
Ministries -  $3,000 
(Ethnic group served: Native American)
The Conference Council on Native American Ministries in the middle Tennessee
area is establishing an annual educational gathering as a means of promoting
inclusiveness in the church and voicing the contributions of Native
Americans in church and society.

Priority for grants is given to new programs or pilot projects. All grants
are awarded on a one-year basis, and project-funding proposals are due July
1 and Nov. 1 More information is available by contacting Sang E. Chun,
director of ethnic local church concerns grants, at (615) 340-7050 or
toll-free (877) 899-2780, Ext. 7050, or by e-mail at schun@gbod.org.

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