March 2023
Three requests for funding through the District’s Mission Target Grant were approved at the March 13, 2023 LCMS Northern Illinois Board of Directors meeting.
The Mission Target Grant Committee approached each of the applications giving serious attention to 3 main criteria set forth by the request guidelines:
- Innovative projects that are designed to connect and engage with people in the surrounding community so that relationships can be developed and the potential for ministry occurs. All projects will lead to a clear witness to the Gospel as our Lord opens doors and creates opportunities.
- Specialized training for groups or individuals that will equip them better to serve in the NID and the Synod, as well as to carry out number 1) above.
- Ministry initiatives which will lead, God willing, to new ways of incorporating Word+Wellness+Witness, as ways to help people learn about Jesus including but not limited to mission starts, church plants, expansion of current outreach-focused ministries, enhanced school connections to the community, and RSO launches and expansions.
The following grant proposals were approved:
St. Paul Lutheran Church and School, Mount Prospect – St. Paul has a heart and desire to reach the growing Hispanic population in their community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only is it their goal to provide a welcoming, safe and friendly place where people of an Hispanic background can come, but also bring diversity and cultural enrichment to our church body and to catechize and help them grow in their faith. Pastor Andres Valencia is already called to St. Paul and he is specifically focused on Hispanic Ministry.
Voice of Care – Voice of Care seeks to develop field tested, evidence based, peer reviewed ministry curriculum to equip the local church to engage people who experience disabilities and their families in their discipleship walk with Christ. Twenty percent of Americans (56 million) have some sort of disability and half of those are labeled “severe.” Sadly, eighty-five percent of churches have no intentional plan for including people with disabilities in the work of the church.
Phil’s Friends – Phil’s Friends is an organization that packs and delivers care packages for cancer patients. Volunteers walk alongside patients and families going through difficult times in their lives. Phil’s Friends seeks to design and implement a more effective volunteer structure to expand their packing “Hope Centers.”
Some of the highlights of the Mission Target Grant include:
- It is available to all churches, schools, and RSOs of the NID
- It has no cap on the amount that may be requested
- Its funding may be utilized over a three-year period
- It will have two award periods each year, Spring and Fall, until the fund is fully expended
- It may be used to partially fund bringing a new church worker to a ministry
Grant proposals should be submitted to Rev. Kris Whitby, Assistant to the President – Mission and Ministry, at kris.whitby@nidlcms.org. Proposals for each award period will be reviewed by the Mission Target Grant Committee the last Monday of February and August respectively. Learn more at nidlcms.org/ministry-support.
As the District office, we carry out our mission by upholding three pillars. These pillars direct our work together in the vision laid out for us.
WORD: Helping congregations be more centered on a rich life of Word and Sacrament, with congregational support in transitions as well as time of joys and sorrows.
WELLNESS: Promoting and encouraging health and vitality in congregations, schools, ministries, professional workers and lay-leaders.
WITNESS: Encouraging personal witnessing, congregational engagement with their community, support of our NID partnerships and missions and sharing in a world mission field together.