GAC09021
June 22, 2009

2009 Mission Program Grant recipients announced

$820,000 funds new church development, transformation, compassion and justice ministries

Contact:
Paul Seebeck, (502) 569-5221

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Mission Development Resources Committee of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has awarded Mission Program Grants totaling $820,000 to 19 congregations and church-related projects across the United States. The Mission Program Grants fund new church developments, transformation of existing congregations and congregational-based ministries of compassion and justice. Funds for the grants come from endowments, individuals and congregational gifts. The grants will be disbursed over a period of three to seven years. 

The grant recipients for new church development are:

• First Cambodian Presbyterian Ministry, Tacoma, Wash., Synod of Alaska-Northwest, Olympia Presbytery: $100,000 grant to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by reaching out to the Cambodian population in the greater Tacoma, Seattle and Olympia areas, in celebrations and gatherings that draw the Cambodian community together.
• New Presbyterian Hispanic, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Synod of Lakes and Prairies, North Central Iowa Presbytery: $100,000 grant to establish a Presbyterian Hispanic congregation in Fort Dodge, Iowa, drawing members from a 45-mile radius around the city.
• Iglesia Presbiteriana Nuevas Fronteras, Plainfield, N.J., Synod of the Northeast, Elizabeth Presbytery: $75,000 grant to start programs and services for the church that desires to have faithful conversation, celebrate its common life, and become more open to movement and fellowship of the Holy Spirit in their community.
• The Trailhead, Bend, Ore., Synod of the Pacific, Cascades Presbytery — Central Region: $50,000 grant to develop a missional community focused on outreach to 19-35 year-old single adults in Bend, Ore.  
• Zack’s Coffee House, Gray, Ga., Synod of South Atlantic, Flint River Presbytery: $50,000 grant to open a coffee house-based ministry in Houston County, Ga., where people diverse in age and socio-economic background can receive an invitation to discipleship.
• The Hispanic Presbyterian Church, Pueblo, Colo., Synod of the Rocky Mountains, Pueblo Presbytery: $30,000 grant to respond to God’s call to plant a new church to minister to the large, non-churched Hispanic and immigrant populations in Pueblo.
• The Living Room, Atlanta, Ga., Synod of South Atlantic, Greater Atlanta Presbytery: $30,000 grant toward the development of a laity-led congregation that is adopting an organic approach, believing that things grow small and eventually reproduce — even churches.
• Peters Creek Presbyterian Outreach, McMurray, Pa., Synod of the Trinity, Washington Presbytery: a one-time $5,000 presbytery-matched grant to be used to conduct an exploration and feasibility study that will assist in determining the possibility of successfully establishing a new congregation.

The grant recipients for congregational transformation are:

• Bethel Presbyterian Church, Olive Branch, Miss., Synod of Living Waters, St. Andrew Presbytery: $50,000 grant to transform 150-year old congregation into a forward looking community of faith, with an intentional focus on ministry, nurture and outreach.
• Gatlinburg (Tenn.) Presbyterian Church, Synod of Living Waters, East Tennessee Presbytery: $50,000 grant to become a church for both those living in Gatlinburg and for the many visitors to the city, by providing facilities for worship of God through mediation of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture.
• Londonderry (N.H.) Presbyterian Church, Synod of the Northeast, Northern New England Presbytery: $50,000 grant to answer God’s call to transform from an internal-focused church to one that welcomes and is engaged in its community.
• Forest Hills Presbyterian, Helotes, Texas, Synod of the Sun, Mission Presbytery: $40,000 grant to transform into a multi-cultural community of faith that equips people for ministry in their families, in the marketplace, and in the church, expanding God’s kingdom in northwest San Antonio.
• First Presbyterian Church of Sandusky (Ohio), Synod of the Covenant, Maumee Valley Presbytery: $25,000 grant to help the church build relationships and create a solid relationship with the Sandusky community in ministry.
• Heights Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas, Synod of the Sun, New Covenant Presbytery: $25,000 grant for the church to become a place where people come for God to transform their lives and then be sent out to transform the lives of others.

The grant recipients for congregation based ministries are:

• Focus on Youth and Young Adults: Innovative Advocacy, Bloomfield, N.J. , Synod of the Northeast, Newark Presbytery: $50,000 grant to fund a youth and young adult coach with experience in community organizing and demonstrated success in leading youth and young adults in unconventional church and community.
• The Refugee Outreach Partnership, Sunnyvale, Calif., Synod of the Pacific, San Jose Presbytery: $30,000 grant to involve, encourage, and accompany local faith and community organizations, individuals and families in the life-transforming ministry of refugee resettlement.
• Broad Street Hospitality, Philadelphia, Pa., Synod of the Trinity, Philadelphia Presbytery: $25,000 grant to support the expansion and sustainability of this ministry.  It will help to fund a “hospitality and kitchen manager” — to relieve the strain on over-extended staff and volunteers, and build capacity for the banquet tradition that defines this ministry’s approach to service and community-building.
• New Comers Settlement, Urbana, Ill., Synod of Lincoln Trails, Southeastern Illinois Presbytery: $25,000 grant to help this ministry serve over 1,200 undergraduate and graduate Korean students. They come from many diverse areas in Korea, with different religions and ideologies, and are in need of settlement assistance such as housing information, and school admission to survive their first year.
• Greater Newburgh (N.Y.) Interfaith Hospitality Network for the Homeless, Synod of the Northeast, Hudson River Presbytery: $10,000 grant to build a strong self-sustaining interfaith hospitality network.  The network will  help homeless families achieve independence, provide congregations with local mission activities, create  initiatives that meet community needs, and give meaningful volunteer opportunities to people of all ages, building awareness of homelessness and the needs of low-income people.

The Mission Program Grant office will begin receiving new grant proposals in February 2010. The grant programs, office process and the advisory committee that guide Mission Program Grant work are being redesigned to maximize efficiency and effectiveness for new church development and transformation. To learn more about Mission Program Grants, a ministry of the General Assembly Council’s Evangelism and Church Growth ministry area, visit the Web site.