wfn.org | ELCA Awards 'In the City for Good' Grants for 2000

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 11, 2000

ELCA AWARDS 'IN THE CITY FOR GOOD' GRANTS FOR 2000
00-213-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) awarded $493,957 in grants to 38 urban ministry initiatives
that demonstrate a potential for transforming lives, congregations
and communities in U.S. cities.  The "In the City for Good" fund team
selected the projects from 93 proposals it received in the program's
second year.  The size of the grants ranged from $2,500 to $28,000.
     "The need is clearly there, and the interest is there," said
the Rev. David D. Daubert, executive for renewal of congregations,
ELCA Division for Outreach, noting the number of applications.  "It's
a great sign that the ELCA is continuing to be a creative influence
in our urban areas," he said.  In 1999, 23 urban ministry projects
received $347,179 in grants.
     The program's focus is "transformation ... especially as that
change is seen as expressing the work of the Holy Spirit in our urban
communities," said Daubert.
     "There will be an increasing emphasis on how local people
participate in the planning and implementation of these new
ministries," he said.  Grant money will not pay salaries but serve as
"seed monies to encourage the beginning of new ministries that truly
involve the people in the communities."
     "Pastors and professionals, in partnership with lay people and
community residents, will implement the majority of these
ministries," said Daubert.  "It is that kind of local ownership which
will insure that these grants are not funds for one-year programs,
but serve as seeds for ministries that will grow and continue to have
impact for years to come."
     Grants were awarded to projects in Montgomery, Ala.; Phoenix,
Ariz.; Alahambra and San Bernardino, Calif.; Washington, D.C.;
Bloomington and Chicago, Ill.; Des Moines and Sioux City, Iowa;
Baltimore and Riverdale, Md.; Roxbury and Worcester, Mass.; Detroit,
Flint and Saginaw, Mich.; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; Lincoln,
Neb.; Brooklyn and New York, N.Y.; Canton, Columbus and Maple
Heights, Ohio; East Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa.; El
Paso, Texas; and Milwaukee.
     Central City Lutheran Mission, San Bernardino, received a grant
for $28,000.  The money will be used to develop the "Exodus
Experiential Learning Center" for interns studying ministry, social
work or public health in urban settings.
     Alpha Lutheran Church and Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church, East Pittsburgh, received a grant for $25,000.  The
congregations will run "Skills for Life for Youth," a "faith
mentoring and tutorial program," during the 2000-2001 academic year
to assist unchurched and functionally illiterate youth.
     Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Washington, D.C., received a
grant for $25,000 to help meet operating expenses of the "Immigration
Center."  The congregation will use the money to launch the outreach
ministry in its community.
     The Lutheran Urban Coalition of Phoenix received a grant for
$22,500 to finance its "Center of Life and Family."  The center
serves as a bridge between the congregation and neighborhood by
offering life-skills, "English as a Second Language," high school
equivalency and Bible classes.  It provides activities for the whole
family, such as meals and worship experiences.
     Funded projects fit several categories, such as community
development, strategic planning for mission, training for leadership,
outreach to ethnic communities and strengthening of ethnic
ministries.
     "In every case, the review team felt the projects offered the
possibility of real change," said Daubert.  "The goal is not only to
make a difference but also to make things different."
     According to the priorities of the ELCA's "In the City for
Good" program, the projects exhibited potential for transforming
people's lives and congregations and for transforming communities
into desirable places to live, work and worship.
     "This is a new way of thinking for many Lutherans but it is the
kind of change that allows Lutherans to bring the gospel in new and
fresh ways to urban areas throughout the country," said Daubert.
"The ultimate goal is the revitalization of the ELCA's presence in
urban communities," he said.
     The fund was created with money from several sources, including
an initial $1 million grant from the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation.
Lutheran Brotherhood is a member-owned fraternal benefit society
based in Minneapolis.
     The ELCA Division for Outreach has applications in English and
Spanish for next year's grants.
     New proposals are to be sent to the ELCA's 65 synod offices
across the United States and Caribbean by Jan. 15.  Synods will
evaluate and rank the proposals for recommendation to the Division
for Outreach.
-- -- --
     The ELCA Division for Outreach will maintain information about
the "In the City for Good" program on its Web site --
http://www.elca.org/do/ -- beginning Sept. 13.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html