Ministry With Grants Make Big Impact
Students from Wesley Prep partnered with seniors from the Casa Feliz program at Wesley-Rankin Community Center to build and maintain a fruit and vegetable garden, culminating in a shared canning lesson where they learned to make strawberry jam.
Esperanza Strings, Open Mesa, CitySquare Paris, Wesley Prep, Open Doors and The Gathering at Anna the latest to benefit from program
Since 2019, the Center for Missional Outreach (CMO) has awarded more than $170,000 to local churches and related ministries through the Ministry With grants. These grants support United Methodists who connect with their local communities to be powerful forces for creativity, compassion and justice.
The Fall Cycle will be open for applications Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Grant awards may be up to $10,000 per grant, with smaller grants also available. Applications will be evaluated according to how they intend to live into the CMO’s “ministry with” values.
Ministry With grants are for new efforts or efforts that expand existing ministries with particular emphasis on ministry with neighbors. Here is a snapshot of some past grant recipients and the good work that they are doing with the funds they received:
- In 2023, Esperanza Strings used its Ministry With grant to expand and offer more children free afterschool strings education programming at Casa View Elementary, as well as continue to partner with parents, schools and the community to support the overall wellbeing of students.
- Open Mesa, a ministry of Arapaho UMC, launched to support the community surrounding their partner school, Dobie Elementary. Through a partnership with Kids U, a local nonprofit, and the funds from their Ministry With grant, Arapaho has been able to provide free backpacks and school supplies, as well as lay the groundwork for ongoing support of children and families at the La Mirada housing development near the school.
- CitySquare Paris used their Ministry With funds to better serve their community through the clothing closet and other services they provide. One key component of their impact was adding and upgrading lighting so that community members can have a dignified shopping experience and a comfortable space to connect with others. The grant funds have enabled CitySquare Paris to build stronger relationships with their neighbors.
Elementary students from Wesley Prep at Lovers Lane partnered with seniors from the Casa Feliz program at Wesley-Rankin Community Center to build and maintain a fruit and vegetable garden, culminating in a shared canning lesson where they learned to make strawberry jam in both English and Spanish. The students and seniors developed a strong bond because of the Ministry With grant that made this partnership possible.- Open Doors, a ministry of the Denton Wesley Foundation, is using grant funds to expand its food pantry to include more culturally diverse foods and to equip student leaders and staff with greater cultural competency to be in ministry with students from various backgrounds. Several students have already found themselves more at home in Denton because of this important endeavor.
- The Gathering UMC in Anna received a Ministry With grant to help launch a food truck park to gather with their community for food, outdoor worship and connection. They were able to use the funds to provide a play area for children to use as another avenue for connecting with their neighbors.
Ministry With dollars continue to bless and expand ministries throughout North Texas. If you have an idea for how to be in relationship with your neighbors and would like help with your Ministry With grant application, please email Rev. Danielle Buwon Kim.
Published: Wednesday, September 13, 2023