Your diocese is committed to investing in mission! Through its Mission Fund (established in 2004) it seeks to support local churches, groups of churches working together or deaneries who are seeking to create and offer new ways of being church in the context of their communities or local area. Churches all over the diocese are reaching out from their comfort zones into new and exciting areas and as a diocese we want to make sure you get all the help and support you need.
Read on to find out more about the exciting projects we've already supported and how the fund might be able to help in turning your new ideas from dreams into reality!
What sort of projects might we support?
So what are the hallmarks of a new mission initiative that the Diocesan Mission Fund might support? Well there’s no one particular type of project, but perhaps key actors are faith, innovation, learning, risk, linkage and synergy. Those who consider applications understand that mission comes in different forms and they work across all traditions. Common ingredients to successful projects are ones which show:
· Creative ways of building bridges within and between communities
· New ways of being church that connect to the local context
· Appropriate patterns of local mission, alongside others
In essence this requires making fresh connections between community, church and mission. The fund seeks to support a changing church in a changing world as it ‘Invests in Mission’.
Sharing Good News
Already the fund has been privileged to support a huge range of mission initiatives in all parts of the diocese and within churches of all backgrounds, shapes and sizes!
- The Parish of The Vale of Neath were thrilled when they learnt that through ‘Careforce’ they had secured a volunteer youth & children’s worker. However, they needed to ensure that she was fully equipped for the job and the Diocesan Mission Fund were pleased to offer a grant to assist –including the purchase of a mobile telephone to put her in touch with the parish and to ensure her safety at all times.
- Other grants have been made towards churches looking to explore new ways of using their church buildings for mission and outreach projects to the wider community (as at Abercanaid and at Grangetown St Paul - both on-going projects).
- To evangelism aspects of the ‘Caerphilly Praise’ event of 2005
- To a young peoples’ Christian summer soccer school at Tremorfa, Cardiff.
- To support the employment of youth–workers in the parishes of Pontyclun with Talygarn and also at Pontypridd St Catherine
- Towards the cost of a Church Army Evangelist to work at Gellideg, in the parish of Merthyr Tydfil, Christchurch.
These are just a few of the projects the fund has been pleased to support and we look forward to helping many more from across the diocese.
St Catherine's, Pontypridd
Vale of Neath, Holiday Club
Criteria
- A one off grant will be awarded towards the cost of the project.
- The grant will be dependant on the total amount available in the fund.
- Grants will not be awarded for building projects; there are other sources of funding available for these projects.
- Funding requests to support the exploration & development of the use of church buildings for mission & outreach, in particular for new & additional uses will be considered.
- The application will need to show how the project is directed toward evangelism and church growth.
- The fund seeks to support new initiatives and not existing projects
Examples (not exhaustive) of projects that fall into the criteria that the committee are anxious to encourage are:
* Equipment for a project (but not to provide equipment for general parish purposes).
* Help towards the salary of a new youth or children’s worker or evangelist.
* New initiatives in outreach and engagement with the local community.
- The committee reserves the right to visit the project at any stage before, during & after will not be retrospective and must be taken up in one year of the offer of being made.
- Applications will need to demonstrate that the project would not proceed without funding from the mission fund.
- Applications must be accompanied by audited accounts for the parish / deanery for the previous two years.
- The committee may ask for additional supporting information.
- Parishes / deaneries will be expected to show reasonable financial commitment to a project & to show evidence of seeking funding from other appropriate trusts & grant making bodies.
- There is an expectation on parishes to share details of their projects with others in the diocese through suitable promotion and publicity.
- This might include an appropriate article and photographs in “Croeso” and any other diocesan/parish publications.
The Committee
This is composed of the Archbishop, the Diocesan Parish Resources Advisor, the Diocesan Missioner & the Archdeacons of the diocese. It meets on a quarterly basis and presents an annual report on its activities to the diocese.
Parishes or groups considering an application to the fund are strongly advised to contact their Archdeacon at an early stage to discuss project concepts and outline proposals. This does not negate the need for a formal application to the fund, which should be made to the secretary. The details of any initial discussions will not form any part of the committees decision making process.
Decisions will be notified in writing as soon as possible after the meeting.
Closing Date for applications
Please note that the members of the committee meet on a quarterly basis to consider applications received by the following dates:
March 31st
June 30th
September 30th
December 31st
Late applications cannot be considered – it is only fair that committee members to have reasonable time to study applications. Late applications will be held over to the next scheduled meeting.
Now make your application!
Click here to open and save a copy of the Diocesan Mission Fund application form in word format.
For an application form click here.
