8/9/2019 Innovative Congregations Selected to Receive Cultures of Call Grants

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Media Contact: Kerry Traubert(404) 727-1170ktraubert@thefund.org

Innovative Congregations Selected toReceive Cultures of Call Grants

FTE grants provide money to churches and organizations nationwidefor cultivating call to ministry among future leaders

ATLANTA, January 22, 2009 To tap the imagination of congregations in finding thenext generation of leaders for the church and society, The Fund for Theological Education (FTE)is awarding nearly $98,000 in new Cultures of Call grants.

Nine grants will be awarded to eight congregationsrepresenting four differentdenominationsand to one federation of Asian-American congregations. Each will receivefunding for local programs to be implemented over the next 18 months. The awards are part ofFTEs Calling Congregations initiative. The program equips churches and church-relatedorganizations to play a leading role in the vocational discernment of young men and womenand to increase the number of gifted young people considering ordained ministry as aprofession. Fewer than seven percent of clergy in most denominations are under age 35.

FTE launched the grant program with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. in 2007 and will awarda total of $350,000 in Cultures of Call grants through 2009. Each award ranges between$10,000 and $15,000. February 2, 2009 is the deadline for submission of letters of intent for thenext grant cycle for interested congregations and other groups.

These congregations are designing imaginative new ways to nurture young people with gifts forleadership, said Jim Goodmann, FTE Calling Congregations Regional Director and GrantProgram Administrator. More than ever, communities depend on strong local churchesandchurches depend on strong leaders who can navigate multiple challenges. These grants helpcongregations find the future leaders the church needs.

Grant recipients are:

Asbury Temple United Methodist Church, Durham, N.C.$ 12,000 forLeadingChange: the Harriet Strong Wright Leadership Initiative for Young Women and theNorman Hanner Leadership Initiative for Young Men. This initiative seeks to impact

church and community through mentoring, service, study, dialogue and reflection on thecall to ministry with youth in high-risk neighborhoods in Durham. Young people willexplore how they may be leaders in the church as well as leaders in the world for thechurch.

C.N. Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Charlotte, N.C.$ 8,115 toprovide a nine-month supervised ministry experience for young people in partnershipwith Union (PSCE) Theological Seminary and designed as a catalyst to deepen theecclesial vocation of this church as a calling congregation.

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8/9/2019 Innovative Congregations Selected to Receive Cultures of Call Grants

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FTE Calling Congregationspage two

First Congregational United Church of Christ, Greeley, Colo.$ 12,000 for thecreation of a spirituality program for children based on a Montessori model and a youthdiscernment initiative served by a church-based Calling Congregations Ministry Team.

Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity, New York, N.Y.$ 12,000 to

support Calling Chinese American Youth into Ministry, a program that will offer summerinternships in five Chinese-American congregations to high school and college youthconsidering pastoral ministry. This project responds to the need to cultivate futureleaders among second-generation, English-language ministries of immigrant Chinesechurches.

John Knox Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Greenville, S.C.$10,000 forConnectingHearts: Holy Listening in a Congregational Circle of Trust, a congregation-based practiceutilizing Parker Palmers adaptation of the Quaker clearness model, enablingvocational and life discernment for young people and their mentors. This pilot project isa cooperative effort with Foothills Presbytery, Louisville Presbyterian TheologicalSeminary and Courage to Lead for Clergy and Congregational Leaders, a program of

the Center for Courage and Renewal

Oak Grove United Methodist Church, Decatur, Ga.$ 12,000 to create the OakGrove Pastoral Scholar Program for a recent seminary graduate, serving Oak GroveUMC with a focus on the congregations role in vocation and the call to ministry.

Reveille United Methodist Church, Richmond, Va.$ 10,000 forStill Calling, whichbuilds on the congregations strong history of members entering ordained ministry.Adults will engage with youth and young adults from the neighboring Swansborocommunity through mentoring, internships and group activities to recognize and nurturetheir gifts for ministry.

St. Marys Episcopal Church, New York, N.Y.$ 11,348 to begin Watering Roots andBranches, a project that connects members of the St. Marys congregation withneighborhood youth and interns of the New York Intern Program in a reflective processthat weaves the parishs commitment to social justice with the calling of young people.

St. Pauls Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights, Ohio$ 10,000 forYoung AdultVocational Internships, which will give college-age young adults an introduction toministry, the support of mentors and the participation of the congregation in internsdiscernment.

For more information about Cultures of Call grants, visit www.thefund.org/programs/calling.Information about what previous grant recipients are doing can be found at

www.thefund.org/programs/congregations_map.

Calling Congregations seeks to establish a national network of 500 congregational and church-related partners. It offers regional workshops; a national conference; teaching tools; Web-basedresources and up to 40 fellowships annually which match a congregations financial supporttoward tuition and expenses for a young church members first year of seminary.

The Fund for Theological Education supports the next generation of leaders among pastors andscholars, providing more than $1.5 million annually in fellowships and a network of support togifted young people from all denominations and racial/ethnic backgrounds. For moreinformation about FTE, visit www.thefund.org.

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