CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The "In the City for Good" Fund Team of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) awarded 36 grants totaling $339,289 in 2002 to revitalize ELCA ministries in urban areas. Grants ranged from $750 for a Fine Arts Camp in Springfield, Ill., to $30,000 for an Urban Summit in Baltimore.
The team received 82 applications, with requests for a total of more than $1.7 million in funding. It can allocate up to $500,000 each year.
This year, the team awarded grants to projects in 14 states -- Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
In the City for Good was meant "to inspire transformational ministry in urban areas," said the Rev. David D. Daubert, the program's director and executive for renewal of congregations, ELCA Division for Outreach. "There are three arenas in which transformation can be looked at: individual, congregational and the wider community," he said.
The type of ministry that receives an In the City for Good grant "exhibits a commitment and ability not only to alleviate circumstances in urban communities but also to transform them into something else. Empowerment, involvement from the community and ownership of the outcomes by those who are connected with a project are very important," said Daubert.
He added, more and more the fund team considers applications while asking, "What are the connections to Word and Sacrament ministry? Are people being served here, and are their lives and the ministry of the church being somehow made new as well?"
The fund team consists of 15 people appointed by the ELCA presiding bishop and the Division for Outreach. Team members are urban pastors and laity, churchwide representatives and representatives of institutions and agencies of the church.
The fund was created with money from several sources, including an initial $1 million grant from the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation. Lutheran Brotherhood merged with Aid Association for Lutherans on Jan. 1 to form Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a fraternal benefit society based in Minneapolis.
In 1999 the ELCA awarded $347,179 in grants to 23 urban ministry projects. In 2000, the church gave $493,957 in grants to 38 initiatives. Thirty-five projects received $436,465 in grants in 2001.
Below is a list of the projects funded in 2002:
1. Elizabeth Home - Seattle
University Lutheran Church (the Rev. Ron Moe-Lobeda)
Requested $30,000/Funded $4,000
2. Empowering Congregational Advocates Project - Seattle
St. John United Lutheran Church
(the Rev. Paul Benz and the Rev. Carol Jensen)
Requested $7,000/Funded $5,000
3. Camden/Cleveland Mission Outreach Project - Minneapolis
Luther Memorial Lutheran Church (the Rev. Carol Stumme)
Requested $20,900/Funded $10,450
4. Oromo Lutheran Church In the City for Good - Minneapolis
Oromo Lutheran Church (the Rev. Melkamu Negeri)
Requested $32,450/Funded $7,800
5. Outreach to the De-churched - Minneapolis
Bethany Lutheran Church (the Rev. Steven Benson)
Requested $20,000/Funded $10,000
6. Peace Palace - Minneapolis
Redeemer Lutheran Church (the Rev. Kelly Chatman)
Requested $25,000/Funded $12,500
7. Cross-Cultural Post-Modern Outreach Ministries - St. Paul, Minn.
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (the Rev. James Erlandson)
Requested $35,000/Funded $8,000
8. Joint Urban Ministries in Praise - St. Paul, Minn.
St. Paul Reformation Lutheran Church
(the Rev. Paul Tidemann and the Rev. Doug Mork)
Requested $33,000/Funded $8,000
9. Youth and Family Development Program - Dallas
Walnut Hill Lutheran Church
(the Rev. Gordon Roesch and the Rev. Gissela Blanco)
Requested $30,000/Funded $15,000
10. Bilingual Comprehensive Evangelization Program -
Fort Worth, Texas
San Miguel Lutheran Church (the Rev. Antonio Cotto)
Requested $35,000/Funded $7,500
11. Summer in the City - San Antonio
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (the Rev. Steve Behr)
Requested $3,693/Funded $3,693
12. Safe Haven After School Program - Aurora, Ill.
San Francisco De Asis and Redeemer Lutheran Church
(the Rev. Pedro M. Suarez)
Requested $5,000/Funded $5,000
13. First Slice - Chicago
Ebenezer Lutheran Church (the Rev. Paul Koch)
Requested $20,000/Funded $5,000
14. Neighborhood Outreach & Hospitality - The NOAH Project - Chicago
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church (the Rev. Thomas Terrell)
Requested $6,000/Funded $3,000
15. Fine Arts Camp - Springfield, Ill.
Faith Lutheran Church (the Rev. Glen VanderKloct)
Requested $750/Funded $750
16. Safezone Community Art Center Band - Milwaukee
Divine Word Lutheran Church (the Rev. Kristine Erdmann)
Requested $25,000/Funded $7,500
17. Voices of the City, Kuji Cafe - Milwaukee
Kujichagulia Lutheran Center
(Venice Williams, Project Director)
Requested $17,000/Funded $8,500
18. Espiritu De Esperanza - Beloit, Wis.
Calvary Lutheran Church (the Rev. Kurt Handrich)
Requested $10,151/Funded $2,500
19. Promise Kids Community Garden & Woodland Planting - Madison, Wis.
St. Mark's Lutheran Church (the Rev. Mary Pharmer)
Requested $3,000/Funded $1,080
20. Brighter Day Care & Learning Center - Kentwood, Mich.
Ascension Lutheran Church (the Rev. Marcy Miller)
Requested $20,000/Funded $10,000
21. Jazz for Jesus - Gary, Ind.
Bethel Lutheran Church (the Rev. Michael Cobbler)
Requested $3,500/Funded $3,500
22. Peace Education & Action Center - Camden, N.J.
Bridge of Peace Lutheran Church (the Rev. Wolfgang Herz-Lane)
Requested $11,000/Funded $11,000
23. Lunch Time Ministry - Hoboken, N.J.
St. Matthew-Trinity Lutheran Parish (the Rev. Mary Forell)
Requested $5,216/Funded $5,216
24. Lutheran Health Ministry - Newark, N.J.
Grace Community Lutheran Church
(the Rev. Moacir Weirich and the Rev. Maristella Freiberg)
Requested $20,000/Funded $16,200
25. Inter-Congregational Latino Youth Group - Union City, N.J.
Lutheran Church of St. Matthew (the Rev. Gus Vinajeras)
Requested $20,000/Funded $5,000
26. Community Outreach and Referral - West New York, N.J.
Christ-St. John Lutheran Church (the Rev. Daniel Johansson)
Requested $8,000/Fun ded $8,000
27. Kids Express Sports and Music - Worcester, Mass.
Concordia Lutheran Church (the Rev. Ann Burgdorf)
Requested $26,800/Funded $8,000
28. Tri-State Latino/Hispanic Diakonia Program - New York
Metropolitan New York Synod (the Rev. David Anglada)
Requested $44,150/Funded $20,000
29. Living Out God's Word - Allentown, Pa.
St. Martin de Porres (the Rev. Ivis La-Riviere-Mestre)
Requested $20,000/Funded $20,000
30. STRETCH Academy - Philadelphia
Reformation Lutheran Church (the Rev. Gordon Simmons)
Requested $31,970/Funded $26,000
31. Congregational Development Using Faith Based Community
Organizing - Baltimore
Amazing Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (the Rev. Karen Brau)
Requested $30,000/Funded $20,000
32. 2003 Urban Summit - Baltimore
Delaware-Maryland Synod (the Rev. Jerrett Hansen)
Requested $40,000/Funded $30,000
33. Mission Transformation Training - Baltimore
St. John's Lutheran Church (the Rev. T. Gregory Knepp)
Requested $2,500/Funded $1,500
34. Holy Hip Hop - Decatur, Ga.
St. Stephen Lutheran Church (the Rev. Clifford Bahlinger)
Requested $9,700/Funded $7,300
35. Messiah Korean Immigrants Social & Educational Service - Norcross,
Ga.
Messiah Korean Lutheran Church (the Rev. Min Chan Park)
Requested $23,500/Funded $
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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
