wfn.org | Newsline: Pacific Southwest Brethren engage in aggressive grant program for growth

["COBNews Newsline" <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- July 3, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST BRETHREN ENGAGE IN AGGRESSIVE
GRANT PROGRAM FOR GROWTH

(July 3, 2008) Elgin, IL -- The Church of the Brethren's Pacific
Southwest District has begun a program of "Grants for Growth." The
district board, chaired by Bill Johnson, completed its first review of
grants in Nov. 2007.

Recent sales of district property have added new resources to increase
grant amounts and loans to local congregations. Over the last two years
2006-07, the district invested approximately $1.25 million dollars into
ministry grants. "In 2008 we are committed to do that in one year alone," reported Johnson.

The district board's report on the grant program noted that the process
actually has been in effect for many years, beginning with very small
pastoral support and church development grants. Expansion began in
2001, and now grants are being given in a wide variety of categories.

The categories include a Companion Grant to support an additional staff
person in a congregation to "staff for growth"; an Exceptional Needs
Grant to assist congregations with issues that could severely impair or
threaten vital ministries; loans for building programs, repairs, and  capital
improvements; matching grants that may be used by congregations for
any reason "consistent with the spirit of the Church of the Brethren"; a
Partnership Grant for new cooperative ministries between congregations
and Brethren-affiliated agencies in the area, such as camps, retirement
communities, and the University of La Verne; a Transformation Grant to
provide assistance to congregations that have discerned a need to
change, redirect, or create new ministries;  and a wide-open category of
"other grants." The district also helps nonprofits across the country  apply
for the "Margaret Carl Trust--Bible/Tract Grant" to help distribute
Bibles, Testaments, Gospels, and tracts teaching temperance ideals.

The new district board structure uses task groups to work on funding,
training existing church leaders, and training and credentialing leaders
for new church growth. "Because of the aggressive growth of the new
church plants and the aggressive application of the companion grant
(second minister) we have created a new but good problem," the board
said.

During the January district board retreat an organizational specialist  with
the Alban Institute facilitated a district board "brain storming" session  on
the new shape of the district's work.

The district has published a booklet to describe the grant program and its
requirements, and has posted information on its website, to encourage
congregations to be creative and forward looking in their ministries.

"While some of our congregations will need assistance in repairing
infrastructure, the hope of district leadership is that congregations will
begin to focus on their community's needs and emphasize the need to
develop relationships with persons beyond their walls," the board report
said. "Jesus did not just preach within the confines of the temple, or  give
discourse only within the synagogues, but walked and lived among the
people. Though it is important to meet the needs of the congregation in
terms of pastoral care, we also need to be missional, sharing Christ
through word and deed."

In its first review of the grant program, the district board concluded  that
"while progress was pretty good at most locations, it was not positive at
some locations.... We are looking for growth in each location. Our desire
is to move funds where positive results are being found, and to question
the use of grant dollars where results in growth are stagnant or negative."

Go to www.pswdcob.org/grants for more information.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its
faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and
Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches.  It
celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000
members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and
sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and
India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren General Board
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org

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