wfn.org | Young people's ministries receive grants

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March 19, 2003 News media contact: Linda Green7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.
    10-31-33-34-35-71BI{150}

NOTE: This may be used as a sidebar to UMNS #149.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Fifteen projects addressing young people's concerns
will receive grants through programs related to the United Methodist Board of
Discipleship.

The diverse projects include a Vietnamese church in California and an
institute to help students at a United Methodist-related college explore
their callings within a diverse cultural setting. They will be funded by the
agency's portion of the denomination's Shared Mission Focus on Young People
initiative.

"The grant money provides resources for ministries we believe best help the
denomination re-order its priorities in ministries with young people. These
ministry initiatives serve as models for the church," said the Rev. Drew
Dyson, director of the young people's initiative. "This year, the ministries
we have chosen to fund are taking creative approaches to serving young
people. They are all initiated by youth and young adults and serving diverse
audiences of young people."

A team of discipleship staff, board members and members of the Shared Mission
Focus coordinating committee and staff made the selections after reviewing 51
applications. The Shared Mission Focus was formed to reorder the priorities
of the United Methodist Church related to issues and concerns of youth and
young adults. 

Each project had to meet criteria determined by Shared Mission Focus and
guidelines set by the Board of Discipleship. Those include equipping pastors
for leadership and partnership roles with young people, preparing young
people for ministry, and providing youth and young adult programs that
encourage lifelong learning and faith development.

Each of the denomination's 14 program agencies will receive $124,000 from the
Shared Mission Focus through 2004 to distribute to United Methodist-related
ministries on youth and young adults.

Projects receiving funds from the Shared Mission Focus and Board of
Discipleship are:
7	Nurturing Ministries, New England Annual Conference, Lawrence, Mass.,
$11,000. The conference will launch an outreach project focused on faith
formation through a retreat experience.
7	Jubilee Youth Ministry, Miami Valley United Methodist Mission
Society, Dayton, Ohio, $11,000. The program plans to equip young people in
West Dayton for ministry.
7	Reaching Out to Young Adults, Trinity United Methodist Church,
Denver, $11,000. The project provides leadership and a strategy for meeting
the spiritual needs of local young adults.
7	Disciples in the Streets, Broadway Christian Parish United Methodist
Church, South Bend, Ind., $10,000. The program identifies and celebrates the
gifts of the spirit at work in the lives of the people in the community.
7	Discipleship Training for the Institute for Discipleship at
Southwestern College, Winfield Kan., $10,000. The program helps college
students explore their callings within a diverse cultural experience,
particularly by receiving training and being in ministry with middle school
and high school youth.
7	Program for At-Risk Adolescents, Cookman United Methodist Church,
Philadelphia, $9,500. The program, recognized by the Health and Human
Services' Office of Community Services as a national demonstration project
for faith-based intervention, is a comprehensive, place-based program
encompassing education, peer counseling, entrepreneurial training and
life-skill instruction.
7	Equipping Leaders Initiative, Emerald Youth Foundation of the Holston
Annual Conference, $9,500. The foundation's programs equip and encourage
youth to know Christ personally, develop spiritually and become leaders.
7	Making Disciples of Jesus Christ, Rizal District UMYAF, Marikina
City, Manila, Philippines, $8,000. The district will focus on spiritual
formation and growth, developing young people as church leaders and partners
in mission. It will emphasize that leadership is about making disciples of
Jesus instead of disciples of church structure.
7	United Methodist Cooperative, Little Rock, Ark., $8,000. The
cooperative wants to increase the effectiveness of South Little Rock churches
in making disciples of youth and to revitalize each local church in that
mission.
7	Crave, Christ United Methodist Church, Fairfax Station, Va., $7,500.
The program involves monthly worship and focuses on helping youth find new
ways of experiencing God's word. Crave is in ministry with 10 other United
Methodist churches.
7	OIMC Regional Consultants, Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference,
$6,000. The project trains consultants to strengthen local church Native
American youth ministry through leadership development and service to the
congregation and community.
7	Empowering and Equipping Young People for the Future Church,
Vietnamese United Methodist Church, Anaheim, Calif., $4,500. The program
seeks to bring wholeness to marginalized Vietnamese youth and young adults by
communicating the gospel in their language and culture; and creating
programs, structures and opportunities for them to learn and develop ministry
skills.
7	Multicultural Youth for Christ, Cambodian United Methodist Church,
Modesto, Calif., $3,000. The project empowers young people emotionally,
ethically and spiritually by using the denomination's Social Principles, Book
of Resolutions and quadrennial goals and objectives adopted by the United
Methodist Board of Church and Society.
7	Young Adult Volunteer Initiative, Denver Episcopal Area, $3,000. The
program reaches out to young adults and provides hands-on opportunities to
serve the Lord in a variety of assignments. It helps young adults discern
their call, and provides young adult volunteers with spiritual direction
while they explore the connection between faith and service.
7	Mission Possible, Grace Korean United Methodist Church, Beaverton,
Ore., $2,500. This project, for young people in grades seven to college,
promotes an atmosphere to explore Christ through evangelism, worship,
fellowship and discipleship.

In a related matter at its March 12-15 directors' meeting, the United
Methodist Board of Discipleship affirmed the Shared Mission Focus on Young
People's legislative pursuit for a division of ministries with young people.
A proposal is expected to be presented to the 2004 General Conference, and if
approved, implemented in 2005.
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