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
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
