wfn.org | Ethnic ministries receive funding from discipleship board

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Oct. 6, 1999 News media contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-31-32-33-34-71B{515}

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-- Twenty-six grants totaling $93,500 have been
awarded to United Methodist-sponsored projects and organizations serving
various minority groups.
	
The United Board of Discipleship approved funding for 26 ethnic local church
concerns projects during its Sept. 28-Oct.  2 meeting. 

Projects that received funds are:

First United Methodist Church of Carrollton Cambodian Fellowship,
Carrollton, Texas -- $5,000 
Carrollton's Cambodian ministry offers worship and Sunday school, Bible
studies, citizenship studies, lay ministry training and English as a second
language.
 

Northwest Arkansas Hispanic Ministry -- $3,000
The congregation of Nueva Esperanza and the Companeros en Cristo Task Force
have established a second faith community, Wiggins United Methodist Church
in Fayetteville, to serve the growing Hispanic population in Northwest
Arkansas. Plans for the new congregation include establishing an education
program for elementary school-age children, youth and families.

Bethany Sunday School, Duluth, Ga. -- $4,000
Bethany Sunday School is designed to reach Korean-American children and
youth, ages 3 to 18.

Project Hope, Raymondville, Texas -- $2,000
Project Hope works with Hispanic youth, ages 12 to 16, in a restitution
program.  The youths are assigned to Bethel United Methodist Church in
Raymondsville to do community service. The youths also participate in Bible
study and counseling.

Racial-Ethnic Empowerment, San Antonio, Texas -- $5,000
A churchwide Interethnic Strategy Development Group is working to increase
the pool of racial ethnic people to be equipped for more effective
participation at every level of the church.  Funds received will be used to
help send 12 observers and monitors to the 2000 General Conference from each
of the five ethnic caucuses, for a minimum of 60 racial ethnic observers at
the May 2-12 assembly.  

In One Voice: United Methodist Hymn Reference Book in Japanese -- $3,000
Funds will be used to help develop a parallel hymn chart reference in
Japanese for the United Methodist Hymnal.  The reference book will also be
used to reach out to international couples, business people and students
from Japan.

Ministry for Asian-American Students at Wellesley College in Massachusetts
-- $5,000
Funds will be used to support weekly Bible study and Christian fellowship
for the Asian-American Community at Wellesley College. Retreats will be held
in the fall and spring.

Aldersgate Congregation Resource Center, Warrensville Heights, Ohio --
$3,000
Aldersgate United Methodist Church that is serving as one of the resource
centers for the "Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century"
initiative will provide four training events during 1999 and 2000.
Workshops, plenary sessions, worship, prayer, Bible study and fellowship are
planned as part of the events.  

Effective Black Parenting Techniques, Emory United Methodist Church,
Washington -- $2,000
Funds will be used to help Emory United Methodist Church provide an
Effective Black Parenting workshop for parents and caregivers.

Sunday Afternoon Children's Program, Pine Bend United Methodist Church,
Lengby, Minn. -- $4,000
Pine Bend United Methodist Church, on the White Earth Reservation in
northern Minnesota, plans to use funding to help educate Native American
people about the United Methodist Church and its teachings, to train
teachers, and to strengthen the children's program.

Evangelism and Faith-Sharing, Southeast Asian United Methodist Ministries,
Columbus, Ohio -- $5,000
Southeast Asian United Methodist Ministries will use the funds to develop
resources and training for the Vietnamese and Laotian congregations in
Columbus and Dayton, Ohio.

Quality 2000 Congress, the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico -- $5,000
The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico is planing a Quality 2000 Congress at
the InterAmerican University in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this December. The
event will provide training in quality improvement principles and in
visioning and planning for the future. 

Freedom in Jesus Christ Ministries, Baltimore-Washington Conference --
$3,000
The Freedom in Jesus Christ Ministries is a program that reaches out to the
Russian-speaking people of the Baltimore and Washington areas, inviting them
to study and worship in the Russian language.

Children's Outreach Project, Monte Sinai United Methodist Church, San
Antonio, Texas -- $3,000
Monte Sinai United Methodist Church's children's outreach project is
designed to address the spiritual, physical, and mental needs of some 50 to
75 at-risk (primarily Hispanic) children in 85 housing units through
programs in arts and sports with biblical messages and themes.

Effective Black Parenting Program, Hartzell United Methodist Church, Chicago
-- $2,000
This project will provide parents of African-American children with the
necessary skills to produce well-adjusted children.

Effective Black Parenting Project, Clark Memorial United Methodist Church,
Nashville, Tenn. -- $2,000
The Effective Black Parenting project at Clark Memorial United Methodist
Church is designed to reduce the number of children referred to Juvenile
Court and the number of children that suffer abuse and neglect.  

Alabadle! Praise Him! Iglesia Metodista Unida El Divino Redentor, El Paso,
Texas -- $3,000
Iglesia Metodista Unida El Divino Redentor will use the funds to provide
sacred music instruction to some 32 children and youth in the church and
community.

Worship 101 For the Christian Year, Northeast Regional Council on
Ministries, Okmulgee, Okla. - $2,500
The overarching objective of this program is to increase Native American
United Methodists' knowledge of the elements for worship for the Christian
year by creating new but appropriate resources rooted in Native American
understanding and expression.

Fiesta de Oracion, Mision La Esperanza, Alexandria, Va. -- $4,000
The Mision La Esperznza will use the funding to support its continuing
efforts to provide a worship service in the Hispanic people's native
language that reflects their culture and customs.

Teen Symposium Projects, Boynton Chapel United Methodist Church, Houston --
$3,000
Boynton Chapel, located in a distressed area of Houston, has designed a
series of seminars, workshops and worship services for the youth in the
community.  Boynton seeks to serve teens, ages 13 to 19, from all ethnic and
cultural backgrounds. The events will include workshops, worship services,
job fairs, focus groups, concerts and more.

Sembrador! The Sower! El Paso Subdistrict of the Rio Grande Conference,
Western District, El Paso, Texas -- $3,000
Sembrador! The Sower! provides training for Christian educators in the use
of Sunday school curriculum and in developing effective teaching strategies.

South Shore Effective Parenting Center, South Shore United Methodist Church,
Chicago -- $2,000
The South Shore Effective Parenting Center is addressing the abuse and
violence occurring in African-American families.  It presents a positive way
to raise children without violence.

Christ Alive 2000, The Mustard Seed Church, Syossett, N.Y. -- $5,000
Christ Alive 2000 is a weekend Korean school.  Activities include worship,
Korean study for children, English as a second language training for adults,
and special educational activities.

Lay Leadership Enhancement, Center for Pacific and Asian American
Ministries, Claremont, Calif. -- $5,000
The Center for Asian American Ministries will provide basic training in
Quest principles in workshops in 1999 and 2000.  One of the goals of the
program is to bring Korean and Japanese lay leaders in contact with other
Asian-American leaders in various churches.

Western Jurisdiction Leadership Seminar and Mission Convocation, Western
Jurisdiction Korean Mission, Los Angeles -- $5,000
The Western Jurisdiction Leadership Seminar, planned for late fall in
Denver, is designed to help Korean-American Methodist pastors and lay people
prepare themselves for 21st century ministries. 

Reaching Chinese for Jesus in the 21st Century, Los Angeles -- $5,000
The National Chinese Caucus is planning a Renewal, Revitalization and
Reachout meeting next July in Arcadia, Calif.  The caucus has a goal of
creating more Chinese United Methodist churches in America in the 21st
century.
	
Due dates for ethnic local church concerns project proposals for
consideration by the United Methodist Board of Discipleship are July 1 and
Nov. 1. Board-funded projects must meet several criteria:
	*	The project must keep in focus the goal of "developing and
strengthening the ethnic minority local church for witness and mission."
	*	The project must focus on one or more of the essential
services provided by the program areas of the Board of Discipleship (such as
Christian education stewardship, evangelism, lay ministry).
	*	 The project must demonstrate how the local church will be
involved and will benefit.
	*	The project must involve ethnic minority local church
members in planning, leadership and decision-making.
	*	 The project must relate to the annual conference's
comprehensive plan for ethnic local church concerns ministries.
	
Priority for grants is given to new programs or pilot projects. All grants
are awarded on a one-year basis.
# # #

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