GRANT APPLICATION FORM CONGREGATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRANSFORMATION Equipping congregations to embrace the Good News present in their particular Settings, and to share the love of Christ in their community and the world. The Congregational Development & Transformation Ministry Team has grants available to churches who are seeking to do a new thing in Christ. Funds are also available for congregations working with COM on congregational discernment. Learn more about the Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT) by Holy Cow! Consulting at https://holycowconsulting.blog/congregation-assessment-tool-cat/. Completed grant application forms may be mailed to the Presbytery of Detroit Office at 17575 Hubbell, Detroit, MI 48235, in care of CD&T, or emailed to the chair of CD&T, Rev. Jo Morgan at Joanne.Marie.Morgan@gmail.com. You may also email Rev. Morgan with questions or concerns.
Application for Congregational Development Church Support Grant - 2017 1. Name of the Requesting Presbytery Entity - (Congregation, Team, Organization, Committee, Work Group, Task Force, Collaborative relationships/partnerships): First Presbyterian Church of South Lyon Chair or Responsible Person: Rev. Michael Horlocker Address: 223 E. Lake Street, South Lyon, MI 48178 Phone: (586) 604-9875 E-mail: mhorlocker1@gmail.com Entity to receive grant: Social Action Task Force Payee: First Presbyterian Church of South Lyon Contact Name: Rev. Michael Horlocker Address: 205 E. Lake St., South Lyon, MI 48178 Federal Tax id: 23-6393377 1. Ministry to be funded: Brief summary of overall purpose of the program/project to be funded. (5 POINTS) FPCSL would like to move from using generic coffee to purchasing and serving fair trade coffee during our fellowship hour following Sunday worship services. We would also like to sell fair trade coffee, chocolate and baking/cooking supplies as a way to promote fair trade not just at church, but in our daily lives as well. To help us launch this important mission, we are requesting $1,000 from the CD&T Ministry Team. 2. Projected Program Dates (Please note, the grant is to be used in the year in which it is awarded): September 10, 2017 June 3, 2018 3. Goals of the Ministry What need or problem is being addressed, or outreach initiated? (10 POINTS) Goals are broad statements of what you propose to do/ the long range benefits. (What do we do? How do we do it? Whom do we do it for? What value are we bringing?) For several years, FPCSL has consistently asked the question, Who is our neighbor? The congregation has done an amazing job at responding to needs in the local community. It is one of the founding churches of Active Faith and the Capernaum Health Clinic. They have also adopted an elementary school and send mentors to work with the students. We have extended our boundaries by participating in missions in the city of Detroit, including Everyone Eats, and the Second Mile Center of Detroit. The congregation began purchasing its Palm Sunday palms from Eco-palms as an introduction to fair trade. By pursuing a fair trade ministry, we are not only transcending borders by expanding our definition of who is our neighbor, we are participating in a more just economy and bringing about an awareness of the gross injustice in the imbalance between profit and labor. By purchasing products through the Presbyterian Coffee Project, we can ensure that the profits will go to the people and villages that produce the product.
4. List three to five specific outcome objectives of the program to be funded. (The objectives must be related to the goals and be meaningful and measurable. (20 POINTS); Objectives: describe the beneficial results of the program. They tell WHO is going to do WHAT, HOW MUCH and HOW it will be measured. Begin with to, followed by an action verb. State results, not activities 1. By purchasing fair trade coffee from the Presbyterian Coffee Project, we know where our products are coming from, and where the profits are going. 2. By selling fair trade items to members and friends of the congregation, we are spreading awareness of the benefits of purchasing fair trade. 3. By hosting fair trade forums throughout the year, members and friends will learn to read labels and be aware of the purchases they make and know who it is they financially support. 4. By experiencing the quality of fair trade goods, the leadership of the church will want to continue its support by adding a line item to the operating budget to support fair trade coffee. 5. By realizing the benefits of purchasing fair trade, the congregation will want to expand this ministry to offer consignment sales, including clothing, jewelry, and gifts during special times of the year, such as Christmas. 10. In what specific way does this Ministry meet the objectives of the Congregational Development and Transformation Team, Equipping congregations to embrace the Good News present in their particular Settings, and to share the love of Christ in their community and the world. (10 POINTS) FPCSL does a great job of sharing the love of Christ within its community. This project would be an excellent opportunity for members and friends to expand their definition of who is our neighbor?. We pray for social and environmental justice on an almost weekly basis. This project would be a way for us to act on our prayers. 10. What is your congregation s Mission Statement? How does this ministry fit with your Mission Statement? (10 POINTS) The mission statement of FPCSL is as follows: We are sent out by Jesus Christ to feed God s people spiritually, physically, and lovingly; planting seeds of hope, compassion and justice within and throughout South Lyon, and wherever else the Holy Spirit leads us. I, as well as the Social Action Task Force at FPCSL, believe that the Holy Spirit is leading us to do more than passively pray for justice. The task force has been charged to look for ways in which the members and friends of FPCSL can find new ways of planting seeds of hope, compassion and justice. A fair trade ministry at FPCSL fits nicely within the bounds of our mission statement. 10. To what extent does the Ministry reflect efforts to partner / collaborate with other churches or community groups? (10 POINTS) I m not sure at this point the opportunity to collaborate with other churches; however, the fair trade products would be available when groups meet at the church. The project will be talked about at our ministry alliance, thus providing an opportunity to promote the use of fair trade products. The Social Action Task Force is looking in to consignment goods that could be sold during the South Lyon Cool Yule, providing the community with an additional outlet for Christmas shopping in South Lyon, as well as other community events deemed appropriate.
8. Describe plans to measure your progress and evaluate your project. It will be necessary to submit a final evaluation of your project to the Congregational Development & Transformation Ministry Group by the end of the year in which the funds are received. (20 POINTS) The Social Action Task Force will be responsible for submitting a final evaluation to the CD&T Ministry Group and will measure the project in the following ways: 1. Are the members of FPCSL purchasing the fair trade goods offered for sale? 2. What sold, what did not? Is there a demand/interest to order more? 3. Will the Session be satisfied enough with the coffee to provide a line item in the operating budget to fund future purchases of coffee to be used weekly on Sundays before and after worship? 4. What is the attendance at our Free Trade forums and outing to 10,000 Villages? Is there an interest to learn more about and to support fair trade? 9. Has this ministry received a grant from the Congregational Development and Transformation Team in the past? YES / NO If yes: a. When and for what ministry? October, 2016; Kids Hope USA b. Include an evaluation comparing the outcomes to the goals and objectives for funds received (attach separate sheet if necessary). Please note: This evaluation is required by previous recipients, and should be included for current consideration. FPCSL received a grant from the CD&T team to help us launch our Kids Hope USA. Kids Hope USA allows our church members to act as mentors at Dolsen Elementary School without violating separation of church and state laws. The expectation was to have 6 mentors and 6 prayer partners during the school year. With overwhelming support from the congregation we had 9 mentors volunteer, 9 prayer partners, and 3 substitute mentors. We just finished our first school year and the teachers, social worker and principal all expressed gratitude for what we were able to accomplish with the students, many of which come from single parent homes with little adult supervision. The grant received from the CD&T team helped cover the cost of leader training in Holland, Michigan, t-shirts for mentors identifying them as Kids Hope mentors, startup supplies for our mentors including tote bags, How am I feeling? signs, and other supplies needed to launch the program. Both the church and the elementary school have agreed to continue this mission next year with many of the mentors returning to their current students, and new mentors excited to begin in the fall. 10. What is the amount which your ministry is requesting from the Congregational Development and Transformation Team? What funds or resources will be contributed by your congregation? Describe in detail how these funds will be used and include a total projected budget for the program/project this includes other funding sources as well. (15 POINTS) I have attached a detailed budget to show how the funds from this grant, if rewarded, would be used. What is not in the spreadsheet is the cost of advertisements, stipends for guest speakers for our forums, etc. I am estimating that the church would spend an additional $300 - $500 out of its operating budget to support this mission.
IMPORTANT: YOU MUST ATTACH A COPY OF THE SESSION OR WORKGROUP MINTUES THAT INCLUDES THE MOTION APPROVING THE REQUEST FOR THIS GRANT. Date of Application submission: June 18, 2017 Date of Application review/approval by Congregational Transformation & Development Ministry Team: The Social Action Task Force has had several informal conversations with the session seeking their support of this project. The session, however, only meets every other month. Our next meeting is this Tuesday, June 20, 2017. The Social Action Task Force is asking that you approve our request pending approval from the Session of FPCSL. The Session will not meet again until August, 2017.