By Ed Thompson
We will be giving away money!
At the November 21 Presbytery meeting, we approved establishing New Life Congregational Grants, which are intended to encourage and support congregations to develop projects that “will strengthen their ministry, enhance their mission, and/or improve relationships in the church and with the community.” That allows plenty of room for your creativity.
We’re funding these grants from the sale of vacated church properties. Most of these properties are smaller churches that have closed or will close. However, the bulk of the funds that will be available to us now will come from the sale of the former Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. We’re just about ready to close on that contract, which might even happen by the end of this month.
There will be two tiers of grants. We’re calling Tier One Covenant Grants. Up to $2,000 will be made available to congregations that complete an application explaining how these funds will be used in ways that support the presbytery’s core values (ministry, mission, and relationships.) Session approval is also required.
We’re calling Tier Two Innovation Grants. Up to $10,000 will be made available to congregations for larger projects. These grants will involve the completion of a more extensive application, including detailed plans, goals, budget, timeline, and anticipated outcomes. It’s intended that these funds will also be used in ways that support the presbytery’s core values, and they also require session approval.
Once we’re finished with the closing and have finalized the application forms, we’ll get the word out to you. It’s not too early to begin thinking about what your church might do with $2,000 or with $10,000. We’re generally hoping to spark creativity, not to fund maintenance and/or repair projects. We’ll give the money away as long as it lasts. Since the reality is that eventually some additional churches will be closed, it’s possible that the proceeds from those churches could provide additional funding we could also give away.
Now, to be honest, we’re not giving it all away. Presbytery approved the setting aside of 20 percent of the total amount that’s available to us to cover the costs of closing churches. The reality is that the presbytery is responsible for the utility costs, insurance, and maintenance on these properties after a church closes. Most churches don’t spend all their money before they end their ministry. They will often leave behind several thousand dollars, sometimes more. However, it may take several years before a buyer can be found for a closed church. Those monthly costs add up and sometimes exceed the amount of money a church leaves behind.
The bulk of the funds, though, will be made available as grants to our churches. So be thinking and praying about how your church might use one of these grants, and be watching for the official announcement that we’re ready to give this money away.