Fourteen Do Good & Share Outreach Ministry Grants supporting outreach and community engagement have been awarded by the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee. The grants total $36,772.00.
The purpose of the Do Good & Share Ministry Grants program is to encourage small congregations to try new ways of getting to know their local communities through shared ministries and engagement. The Ministry Grants program is part of the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee’s Small Church Initiative, which began in 2020.
Awards include Experimental Grants up to $1,000 and Sustaining Grants up to $5,000. Experimental Grants are geared toward projects that help congregations learn about its surrounding neighborhood and engage the work God is already doing by trying something new. Sustaining Grants are aimed primarily at congregations that have already begun working with the community surrounding the church.
“The grant committee entered this inaugural granting cycle with tempered expectations regarding how many applications we might see” said Emily Austin, a member of the Ministry Grant Team. “We were impressed not only with the number of churches that applied but also with the commitment to listening and holy partnership we saw in the applications.”
The following grants were awarded:
- All Saints Episcopal Church (Memphis) Pollinator Garden Project: $2,566.00
- Christ Episcopal Church (Brownsville) Teddy Bear Outreach Project: $1,000.00
- Church of the Good Shepherd (Memphis) U-Park Tennis Festivals Project: $4,339.00
- Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Memphis) How Great Thou Art Camp Project: $1,000.00
- Grace Episcopal Church (Paris) Loaves & Fishes Project: $1,000.00
- Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (Memphis) Camp Firelight Vacation Bible School Project: $1,000.00
- Immanuel Episcopal Church (La Grange) Community Arts Program: $2,500.00
- Ravenscroft Episcopal Chapel (Brighton) Family Tools for Success Program: $4,000.00
- St. Anne’s Episcopal Church (Millington) Laundry Love Project: $4,000.00
- St. James Episcopal Church (Bolivar) Hardeman County Drug Court Recovery Project: $4,547.00
- St. Mary’s Cathedral (Memphis) Connecting Neighbors to Urgent Care Project: $1,000.00
- St. Paul Episcopal Church (Mason) Gailor Community Bulletin Board Project: $2,000.00
- St. Thomas the Apostle (Humboldt) Boys & Girls Club Playground Project: $5,000.00
- St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Somerville) Front Yard Food Pantry Expansion Project: $2,820.00
Stories and lessons learned from this first round of grants will be shared at the 2024 Diocesan Convention, November 16 at Church of the Holy Apostles in Collierville.
