COVID-19 Rural Church Missional Response Grant 

Application Deadline: Rolling

The purpose of these grants is to amplify the efforts of churches with under 150 in worship attendance that are in a position to make positive impacts for their neighbors negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Note: Black/African American persons are becoming infected and dying at disproportionate rates compared to any other demographic (see CDC Study). The data lay bare the underlying conditions for many in these communities caused by racial injustice. And CARES Act funding has been difficult for these communities to access due to structural inequities, making recovery even more difficult (see recent video from General Commission on Religion and Race). Thus, we encourage churches to explore how they can work alongside Black/African American neighbors. 

A limited number of (one-time) grant award amounts will be made in the following ranges:

• Direct Grants (non-matching) in the range of $250-1000
• Matching Challenge Grants^ in the range of $500 to $2500 (for every dollar you raise, we contribute a dollar – double your impact).

^No funds have to be in-hand before submitting an application for a matching grant. Your application does need to share how you will raise funds to be matched. Our goal is to get funds to where they are needed as soon as possible. Matching funds can be sent incrementally as funds come-in to church. 

It is understood that many needed efforts will be relief and short-term oriented. Greatest consideration will be given toward applications that intend to live into the “ministry with” values below. This application process is a great tool for thinking through how to make the most of a ministry that connects with one’s neighbors.

• Come alongside neighbors in a spirit of friendship and mutuality. Listen to and learn from them.
• Build long-term relationships with neighbors.
• Uncover the often-undervalued gifts, talents, dreams, desires and connections of neighbors.
• Adopt the iron rule: never do for others what they can do for themselves.
• Address the systems that perpetuate suffering and inequity rather than only deal with the symptoms of our broken world.
• Use a strengths-based approach that leverages the gifts and relationships of local partners.

Examples of possible ministry types:

• Ministry of help & encouragement
  • Any kind of hospital or health care workers
  • Care for front-line workers
  • Grocery stores – ministry of encouragement for front-line workers
• Ways to care for those affected by layoffs or decreased hours at local industry (that has been hit hard and key to the economy in your area)
• Partner with our local schools (food, tutoring, teacher & staff support, mental health, etc.)
• Mental health access (grief groups, therapy referrals, groups for those unemployed, etc.)
• Ask government/school officials if they could suggest groups that may have been left out and hit hard
• Community garden/farm to provide food to community
• Jail ministry providing masks to inmates and guards
• Local Senior Care Center/Nursing Home – ways to help and encourage
• Create ways for community to voice concern about being affected to local and national representatives
• Food/grocery/essentials delivery system for those in food deserts or to those who are vulnerable
• Organize in local area to address needs of hardest hit communities

Please DO NOT be discouraged from exploring this opportunity if you don’t know about grant applications. If you have questions or would like help thinking through your ideas or application, please email  or call him at 972-526-5018.

You can download this Word document to use for a rough draft of your application, however, all final drafts must be filled out below.

General Information

Essay Questions

Please respond in 2-3 sentences

**Specifically the impoverished, communities of color, tribal communities, those without legal status, those with high levels of homelessness, those with disabilities, and those who are now unemployed/underemployed.

*Making disciples, in our view, can happen in a variety of ways. In the midst of a church’s ministry with its neighbors, church people could be intentional about recognizing and seizing opportunities to share their faith and invite their neighbors onto a pathway of discipleship. In the midst of a church’s ministry with its neighbors, church members could find themselves stretched and their faith and experience of the Holy Spirit deepened. These and other ways of making disciples could be legitimate responses to this question.

Documents

Please include the following (accepted file forms: Excel, PDFs, Word):