First UMC Jacksboro, Union Awarded 'Ministry With' Grants
The Union ministry is called Callback. It provides a central, Sabbath-centered hub for the community and support for productions and producing theater.
Ministries to build a community garden and provide pastoral care to theater practitioners each awarded $10,000
Programs designed by First UMC Jacksboro and Union have been awarded “Ministry With” grants from the Center for Missional Outreach. Each received $10,000.
- Healthy Food, Healthy Hearts for Jack County: the construction of an advanced community garden and greenhouse spearheaded by First UMC Jacksboro will serve as a hub for food security in Jack County. Doing so will raise community health, improve relationships and increase economic and environmental sustainability
- Callback: An innovative ministry conceived by Union to provide pastoral care to theater practitioners, this program provides an opportunity for a central, Sabbath-centered hub for the community and support for productions and producing theater.
The purpose of the “Ministry With” grant program is to be a catalyst for making the “ministry with” dreams of local churches in the North Texas Conference a reality. Grants are for new efforts or efforts that catalyze existing ministries with creativity and innovation.
A limited number of grants range from $5,000 to $10,000. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Please take note that applications will be evaluated according to how they intend to live into the “ministry with” values:
- 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.
If you have questions or would like help thinking through your ideas, please email Rev. Andrew Fiser or call him at 972-526-5018.
Published: Friday, May 15, 2020