Is your congregation looking for ways to fund a ministry that impacts your community? Consider applying for a grant from the Ohio Conference.

The Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team (MDT) is accepting grant proposals from Ohio Conference congregations and related organizations for projects and mission initiatives. This year the MDT has $24,282 available for grants.

In light of the current Gathered and Sent initiative within the Ohio Conference, the Ministry Development Team will give preference to proposals that are particularly missionally oriented. Priority also will be given to projects that are new initiatives or projects that could not be carried out without the grant funding.

The MDT will use the following criteria in reviewing the applications:

— Does this proposal fit with the Conference priorities of worship, faith and witness?

— Does this project respond to the priorities identified by Ministry Development Team?

° Start-up ministries/ new initiatives

° Community outreach

° Revitalization of a congregation

° Church planting

° Focus on children or youth ministry

° Resources for marriages and/or parenting

° Missional coaching

° Strengthening congregation-to-congregation relationships within Ohio Conference

° Peacemaking education/action

— Is this proposal a collaborative effort among Ohio Conference congregations and/or related organizations?

Please note that this is a one-time grant. Grant monies are not intended to be used for staffing.

Grant proposals are due by Aug. 6, 2018. More information and an online application are on the Ohio Conference website: http://bit.ly/OCMinistryGrants. If you prefer, you may download a grant form and mail it to the Ohio Conference office.

The Ministry Development Team will consider all grant proposals at its Aug. 23 meeting.

In 2017, the Ministry Development Team approved six grants. To learn more about these grants, see http://bit.ly/OCMinistryGrants. One of the six grants was given to Wheelhouse — A Christian Bike Cooperative, located in Lima, Ohio. This ministry refurbishes bicycles and makes them available to people in need. To learn more about this ministry and the grant which it received, listen to the Ohio Conference Cast podcast about the Wheelhouse. You can find it on the Ohio Conference website: http://bit.ly/WheelhouseLima.