Community resources, funding and training
In their latest newsletter, Community Mission highlight funding opportunities that Christian projects can tap in to, and events and resources to help churches engage with their communities.
Funding
 Churches and community projects working with 18-21 year-olds can now encourage them to apply for a ‘Do It’ Sport Relief Award of up to £10,000 as the next deadline for applications is 12 April. Aimed at individuals with an innovative idea of how to use sport or recreational activities to solve a social problem, projects must also have the ability to become sustainable. It is best to speak with the ‘Do It’ team before applying. For more information, read the UnLtd Sport Relief Awards blog or, to apply, complete the application form.
The Santander Foundation funds registered charities that benefit disadvantaged people through education, training or financial capability. One-off grants of £10,000 are available in areas where there is a branch of Santander or Alliance and Leicester. For eight ‘significant presence’ areas in the UK, there are grants of up to £30,000 available. There are no deadlines and the application involves a letter explaining the need and a Santander one-page cover sheet. Successful applications will be notified in six weeks. Find out more about how to apply or download the application cover sheet. Tearfund’s IMPACT UK team are again inviting applications for their Accompaniment Programme involving grants of up to £10,000 per year for three years, capacity development and access to resources and Tearfund events. Priority will be given to local evangelical church projects and Christian organisations using community development principles in areas of deprivation. In order to register interest, guidelines can be obtained by email from Lucy Young. The stage one application must be sent in by 1 April. Training and Events
 Livability is hosting Measuring real success in your community project: statistics, anecdotes and transformation on 14 April in response to the current climate of lengthy monitoring forms and fear of failure that surrounds community projects. It is being held at St George’s Centre, Leeds and is £20 per person to be paid on the day including lunch. The day is focused on what it means to be effective and how to communicate this to others. To book, contact Ruth Smith or phone 0113 350 8070.
St Barnabas Church, Finchley, London and New Wine are jointly hosting Transform: Community and Outreach Conference on 24 April at St Barnabas Church, Finchley. Aimed at those in community and outreach ministries, the day will include worship as well as teaching by Paul Cowley, Prison Ministry from HTB, Ayo Adedoyin from Jesus House and John Coles from New Wine. It will give you tips for your ministry and fresh vision. It is £10 per person and delegates are asked to bring their own lunch. To book, complete the booking form. For more information, contact Helen Shannon or phone 020 8343 5789.
Church Urban Fund’s annual conference, Practical Impact, is being held on 27 April at Carrs Lane Church Centre, Birmingham. Aimed at any church or community project tackling poverty in their community, there are teaching sessions by Eugenie Harvey (author of Change the world for a fiver) and Joel Edwards (Micah Challenge). Workshops include a variety of topics including Christian distinctiveness, creatively using church buildings and managing staff and volunteers. It is £10 per person and there are travel bursaries available.
In response to pressure on community projects to hide or decrease focus on their Christian identity, Livability is hosting We don’t do God: Keeping faith in your community project on 12 May at Salvation Army International HQ in London. The day includes practical ideas on how to use down-to-earth theology in community projects as well as connecting with the original motivation for the work. It is £30 per person to be paid on the day, including lunch. To book, contact Jill Clark or phone 020 7452 2018.
Faith and Freedom is an organisation that helps the church break the chains of domestic abuse. It is hosting Bringing Hope: Engaging Christians in ending domestic abuse on 26 June at Charter Hall in Colchester. With one in four UK women experiencing domestic abuse, the day will help Christians respond. Speakers include Dr Elaine Storkey and Peter Grant (Tearfund), Dr Catherine Kroeger (Professor, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary). It is £30 per person or there is an early booking discounted price of £20 if booked by 22 May.
Livability is hosting their annual residential A Conspiracy of Hope: Creating the future one mustard seed at a time on 27-29 October. Facilitators Tom and Christine Sine will share thoughts on the future of the church’s mission within communities in our rapidly changing world. Tom is the author of Mustard seed vs McWorld and The New Conspirators. The event focuses on learning from each other and gives opportunity for reflection away from busy ministry. Held in Leicestershire at Hothorpe Hall, it is £215 for a single room and £160 for a shared room with a £20 discount for bookings taken before 30 June. For more information or to book, contact Jill Clark or phone 020 7452 2018.
Stories and Resources
Following a groundbreaking international report into health inequalities, a report was commissioned to identify the major factors in England that contribute to inequality in health and how this impacts poverty rates. Fair society, healthy lives was published this month and its conclusions are that, on average, those in poorer communities live seven years less than those in richer communities. The report recommends addressing this through changes in government as well as social programmes and controversially states that only targeting poor communities will not decrease the inequality. The findings could easily be used in funding applications and sermons.
ReSource: Creating church in the emerging culture is an ongoing training and equipping opportunity for anyone interested in mission in modern culture. It is led by a mix of people from a variety of church backgrounds including Church Mission Society, Salvation Army, Anglican Church Planting Initiatives and free churches and includes teaching on leadership, missiology, discipleship and building in regular reflection. The upcoming weekends are 12-14 March in Leeds and 7-9 May in Southampton.
For churches and Christian community projects which find that a discussion about salvation either leads to division or does not include a full understanding of what it means, Jon Kuhrt at Livability has written What does salvation mean for your local community? In four pages, it explains the four primary elements of salvation: wholeness, liberation, forgiveness and affirmation and how these can be seen at work in our communities. This could be used for discussion in a home group, sermon or community project team meeting. For churches and Christian community projects looking for study material, Livability has produced a six-week Bible study on the book of Amos. Geared towards home groups looking for an hour of content, it is focused on taking the challenge of repentance and lament and applying it to our context. There is a take-away ‘challenge’ for people to do between each session and the aim is to help people see the relevance to today of Amos’ radical message to the religious people of his day. For information on Livability’s other courses, visit their Community Mission website. Churches and Christian community projects with a goal to improve the health of those in their community could join in on World Health Day on Sunday 11 April. The vision is to close a main street to cars so people can run and cycle, thus cleaning the air and promoting exercise and health awareness. Why not hold a community meal, and arrange other fun activities for your street? Jointly hosting this event with the council, nearby charities and local churches can be another way to show unity in action. Watch the promotional video, read more about possible activities to host and register your activity on the website. If April is too soon, The Big Lunch on Sunday 18 July is a similar idea and encourages communities to host Sunday lunch in the streets.
| 