The Urban Ministry Grant funding opportunities provided by the Great Plains Congregational Excellence department and the Great Plains Conference Board of Trustees are from the sale proceeds of properties abandoned by discontinued congregations in counties with more than 50,000 in population. Urban Ministry Grant funding is subject to availability.
Urban Ministry Grant Funds assist districts to carry out objectives of:
Eligible applicants are the seventeen Great Plains Conference Districts (Blue River, Dodge City, Elkhorn Valley, Five Rivers, Flint Hills, Gateway, Great West, Hays, Hutchinson, Kansas City, Missouri River, Parsons, Prairie Rivers, Salina, Topeka, Wichita East, and Wichita West).
Applications must be received by April 1 or August 1. Applicants will submit their applications via online application to the Great Plains Congregational Excellence department. The Congregational Excellence department will bring the application before the Vital Congregations Team.
The proposal will communicate a well-written comprehensive plan from the district that includes a budget, marketing approach, salary support, and specific ministry objectives. Project development cannot continue without a well-written and thought- out plan.
Contact the Rev. Jeff Clinger with grant development assistance or for more information at 785-414-4242.
The dollar range of grants is up to $120,000 per project over a four-year period. Funds may be used for salaries, administrative expenses, program expenses, capital expenditures, and so forth. Projects and initiatives funded for one year must reapply for continued funding the following year in time to meet the annual application deadline.
Each project receiving grant money from the Congregational Excellence department will be responsible for completing project reports, including financial reports and annotated evaluations. A schedule of progress reports will be included in your grant notification letters. Failure to comply with this requirement will lead to termination of funding.
The 2016 Book of Discipline [¶2548, ¶212] has established a formal requirement that addresses what has been a concern for the church for decades: urban transitional communities where the members of the church have moved away from the church facility as new groups of people have moved into the community around the church facility.
The Book of Discipline ¶2549.7 notes that when a church in an urban area is discontinued and the property abandoned and sold, the funds derived from the sale of that property be set aside for use in support of vital urban ministry according to the urban ministry strategic plan of the Annual Conference.
An area is considered an urban area for the purposes of this plan if it is within the boundaries of counties with a population of at least 50,000. Administrative Services once each calendar year will produce a list of the counties with population of at least 50,000 and distribute that list to the Trustees of the Conference Trustees for approval. This list will be distributed to the Annual Conference Department of Congregational Excellence and the Cabinet. If any church property is sold within the boundaries of any of the listed urban county areas, proceeds shall be processed under this strategic plan for urban ministries.
| State | County Name | Population |
|---|---|---|
| KS | Johnson | 544,179 |
| NE | Douglas | 517,110 |
| KS | Sedgwick | 498,365 |
| NE | Lancaster | 285,407 |
| NE | Sarpy | 158,840 |
| KS | Wyandotte | 157,505 |
| KS | Shawnee | 117,934 |
| KS | Douglas | 110,826 |
| KS | Leavenworth | 76,227 |
| KS | Riley | 71,115 |
| KS | Butler | 65,880 |
| KS | Reno | 64,511 |
| NE | Hall | 58,607 |
| KS | Saline | 55,606 |
The claims and restrictions upon proceeds of the sale of such properties include:
The Districts that contain an urban municipality will develop an urban ministry plan for their urban area. The District Strategy Team or alternate structure chosen by the District are to work together to develop a plan that:
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