ELCA Ministries Awarded Grants

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Twenty ministry projects of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) were awarded grants totaling $443,300 from the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation (LB) and Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) as part of the agencies' churchwide grant awards program for 2001.
AAL, based in Appleton, Wis., and LB, based in Minneapolis, are both fraternal benefit organizations. AAL and LB recently announced plans to merge by the end of this year.
The ELCA Churchwide Grant Program, currently funded jointly by both AAL and LB, assists the churchwide organization to develop and pursue projects that have a positive impact on the mission of the church.
"We are excited about the various new initiatives that are currently being funded because of the fraternals' faithful partnership in the ministry of the church," said Tammy Jackson, associate director, ELCA Department for Synodical Relations. Jackson oversees the churchwide grant program for the ELCA.
Jackson said a second round of proposals to be considered for funding will be reviewed in the fall.
The grants awarded were: + "Conflict Management in Asian Congregations," ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries, $27,300: The commission will convene a working group of church leaders to discuss the causes of conflict in congregations in which the membership is primarily of Asian heritage to find solutions.
+ "Congregation-Based Organizing Summit (II) -- Deepening and Empowering Leaders for the Whole Ministry of the Church," ELCA Division for Church in Society, $30,000: This three-day conference will help initiate pilot projects in seminaries for equipping laity and clergy in the use of a congregation-based organizing tool to build congregations.
+ "Consultation on Guyanese Ministry," Commission for Multicultural Ministries with the ELCA Division for Outreach and ELCA Division for Ministry, $7,000: Two consultations of ELCA Guyanese leaders will be convened to help establish a network for Guyanese people in the United States and develop a plan to start the first ELCA Guyanese ministry in 2003.
+ "A Conversation on Homosexuality and the Church," Division for Church in Society, $10,000: This educational program will enable ELCA members to engage in thoughtful, focused deliberation about homosexuality and the church at the 65 synod assemblies in 2002 or 2003.
+ "Coaching for Intervention," Division for Outreach, $35,000: The division will identify up to 10 congregations in which trained division and synod staff will implement a proven congregational intervention model.
+ "Education Manual for Sexual Misconduct Case Management," Division for Ministry and ELCA Commission for Women, $9,000: Educational materials will be produced for use by synod staff in the training of case management teams who are expected to process allegations of sexual misconduct in a consistent and fair manner.
+ "Evangelical Outreach and Faith-Based Community Organizing," Division for Outreach, $20,000: This program will gather pastors from growing, "community organizing" and declining congregations for the purpose of developing mentoring relationships.
+ "Faith Development Resources for Seekers in Higher Education and Schools," ELCA Division for Higher Education and Schools, $15,000: This educational program will provide both planning and production of new resources to engage people who have little or no grounding in the Lutheran faith tradition more deeply within the Lutheran community.
+ "Faith and the Practice of Law," Division for Church in Society and Division for Ministry, $21,000: This churchwide gathering of 50-75 members in the legal profession will encourage the formation of local conversation groups on concerns related to faith, vocation and profession.
+ "Family Summer Camp," Commission for Multicultural Ministries, $30,000: This grant will help conduct a multi-faceted summer camp program for American Indian and Alaska Native families that will offer a curriculum to help build relationships, leadership and to present recruitment information that will encourage full-time careers in church work.
+ "From White Privilege to Partnership," Commission for Multicultural Ministries, $37,500: This workshop will assist White leaders to understand the role of "White privilege" in shaping outreach, evangelism and leadership ministry with people of color.
+ "Growing ELCA Congregations/U.S. Congregational Life Survey," Department for Research and Evaluation and Division for Congregational Ministries, $30,000: This grant will enable further research on findings from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey -- a nationwide, pandenominational survey of the members of U.S. congregations -- to provide valuable information about the distinct characteristics of ELCA congregations.
+ "Latino Emerging Generations," Division for Outreach, $16,500: This grant will assist church leaders by developing strategy and resource materials to help congregations reach out with the gospel to Latino people ages 14-28.
+ "Latino Youth Leadership Development," Commission for Multicultural Ministries, $24,000: This development program will help Latino youth leaders to become more aware of their power and place within the ELCA.
+ "Men's Ministry Leadership Development," Division for Congregational Ministries (Lutheran Men in Mission), $25,000: This project, using a multi-site interactive telecast, will teach congregational men's leaders how to build effective congregational ministries that will draw more men of all ages into faith, the church and ministry.
+ "Multicultural Music Festival," Commission for Multicultural Ministries, $35,000: This event will share the gift of music from various cultural traditions through a Multicultural Music Festival.
+ "One Body, Many Members," Commission for Multicultural Ministries, $20,000: This project will help members of racially homogenous congregations reach out to people in their communities who are racially and culturally different, and welcome them into their worshiping communities.
+ "Providing for Ministry Needs in Small Congregations," Division for Ministry, Division for Outreach and Department for Research and Evaluation, $22,000: This grant will help improve the ELCA's understanding of the effectiveness of various leadership alternatives available to small congregations in meeting their ministerial needs.
+ "Treasured and Safe: A Future for Children in Congregations and Communities," Office of the Presiding Bishop, $20,000: This grant will be used to conduct a three-day visioning and planning event to develop a plan for how the ELCA will help children "live without poverty, be safe and grow in faith."
+ "Web Streaming Pilot," ELCA Department for Communication, $9,000: This project will post ELCA-generated streaming media audio and video clips on the World Wide Web to reach out to seekers on the Internet and to visitors to the ELCA Web site, helping users learn about and be connected to the church and its work. -- -- -- *Michelle T. Mills is a senior at Bradley University, Peoria, Ill. This summer she is an intern with ELCA News & Information.

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