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Ohio
Conference United Church of Christ |
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Ohio
Conference United Church of Christ |
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Racial/Ethnic Empowerment Committee |
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Spring
2006 grants awarded to racial/ethnic |
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1. Gospel
Choir - $3,500 Funding is requested to facilitate Archwood UCC's continued growth as a multi-cultural, multi-racial congregation through music. With the right leadership to build and sustain a strong gospel choir, the congregation will deepen the experience of both singers and worshippers, thereby strengthening the entire church, evidenced by their tithing, attendance, evangelism and outreach. The bulk of the grant will allow Archwood to employ a pianist/director for the gospel choir but will also contribute to other start-up costs for the choir. This is the first installment of a three-year grant request of $9,000: $3,500 in 2006, $3,000 in 2007 and $2,500 in 2008. The church will supplement the declining grant funds each year with growth in membership and stewardship. The church will measure results through the size of the choir, the frequency with which they sing and the overall impact on worship attendance, as well as the choir members' own spiritual fulfillment. With the promise of the right leadership, they have nearly doubled the size of the choir even before their first performance.
The Boys and Girls Club of Sandusky, housed in the lower level of First Congregational's building, offers activities to 50 - 70 at-risk, inner city children every day. In conjunction with the Club activities, Rev. Kure has offered a Christian education program - God Speaks Through Stories - to the children for the past year. Forty-two children chose to participate. The congregation believes they are reinforcing the Club's mission of helping the children realize their potential by (1) teaching them that their potential is a gift from God, (2) helping them develop a faith foundation that will sustain them throughout life, and (3) empowering them through the gifts of the Spirit. The success of God Speaks Through Stories has created a need for a part-time staff person to take charge of the program, to help it reach its potential. Funding of a 10-hours-per-week staff person to supplement the volunteers now running the program would allow it to meet once a week after school beginning in Fall 2006. 3. Bridge
Program - $2,000 Funding is requested to allow revitalization and expansion of The Bridge, an outreach program seeking to provide a place where all may come to be refreshed, renewed, and restored through Jesus Christ for service in the world. The Oasis is a church in revitalization mind set, looking for folk to join them in bridging the various communities in Lima, speaking out for tolerance, diversity, and oneness of mind in Christ. They have a special place in their hearts for bi-racial couples and long to build a place where compassion reigns. The funding would also provide equipment, uniforms and a staff stipend for a youth worship ministry. 4. Minister
for Youth and Children, Youth
in Action Ministry - $10,000 Youth in Action Ministry (YIAM) focuses on reaching and addressing the spiritual and educational needs of at-risk youth, ages 11 - 18, who live in the neighborhood surrounding Mt. Zion. The program began informally in 2005 with volunteer leadership and minimal resources. The congregation's goal is to fund the hiring of a part-time Minister to Youth and Children, Stephen Mullen, who will provide leadership for YIAM. 5. "Dream God's Dream" - $4,500 Washington UCC,
Cincinnati Funding is requested for a week-long work camp retreat in June 2006 that will bring together a racially and culturally diverse group of youth, along with adult leaders, from the Camp Washington community to learn more about race relations, poverty, conflict resolution, peacemaking, community building and community service based on the biblical directives of justice and love. Diverse worship will be planned and experienced, and the discipleship directed in both Hebrew and Christian scripture will be practiced. The group will live together for a week, sharing the responsibilities of a family, while doing Christian service in the community. This project will be the first step toward a multi-racial, multi-cultural youth group in the Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Association as well as within the Cincinnati United Churches of Christ. 6. Service in Mission and Mission Church development - $8,000 Miller Avenue UCC,
Akron Funding will support existing service programs addressing basic social needs and to advance mission development in the multicultural neighborhoods of Summit Lake. Funds will be directed to the general treasury of the mission church, which supports one full-time employee - the minister/mission developer - two part-time employees to maintain the facility and provide music leadership for worship, and general church expenses. While social service programs and mission development will be the ongoing activities of the mission church and its minister, the year 2006 will also be devoted to helping coordinate a network between all existing mission activities in the Summit Lake neighborhood. The network of mission activities helps raise consciousness of social justice issues in Akron that have an impact on the local population. Applications for the next round of REEC grants are due August 15 for funding in September. All applications must be accompanied by a full budget, noting income from all sources, including in-kind contributions and any other contributions from the congregation applying for the grant. Funding for the grants comes from the portion of the Neighbors in Need offering retained by the Ohio Conference and designated for the Racial/Ethnic Empowerment Committee. Please limit the initial grant request to $5,000 or less. For
information about the Racial/Ethnic Empowerment Committee and/or an
application, contact committee chair Kim Martin Sadler, 3692 Rawnsdale
Road, Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122, (office) 216-736-3756
or ksadler@thepilgrimpress.com. |
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Questions or information about the Racial/Ethnic Empowerment
Committee, |
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Ohio Conference UCC, 6161
Busch Blvd., Suite 95, Columbus OH 43229 • 800-282-0740 • 614-885-0722 • ohioucc@ocucc.org |
