Posted Dec. 16, 2015
Big Stone Gap Church & Community Ministry received $5,000 to offer an existing cooking and nutrition class to children.
Central United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tenn., received $2,500 to begin an internet café for high-school students without computers at home.
Romeo United Methodist Church received $5,000 to throw a community baby shower for young families in Bulls Gap, Tenn.
In the second round of grants from this year’s Holston Annual Conference mission offering, 12 groups received a total $53,000 in funds for their ministries supporting local children in poverty.
The application deadline for the second round of grants was Nov. 15. A missions grant committee met Dec. 10 to choose recipients.
The most recent grant-winners were chosen from 33 applications representing all of Holston’s 12 districts, according to the Rev. Michael Sluder, director of connectional ministries.
“There’s some good stuff going on. We’re beginning to see some new ministries,” he said.
Eleven of the 33 applications included new ministries. In some cases, applicants were disqualified in this round because their applications were incomplete, Sluder said. The next grant application is March 15.
In addition to Big Stone Gap District Church & Community Project, Central UMC (Knoxville District), and Romeo UMC (Morristown District), other recipients included:
> Damascus UMC (Abingdon District): $3,000 – Backpack ministry providing food over the weekend
> Tyner UMC (Chattanooga District): $2,500 – After-school tutoring for grades 1-3
> Camp Bays Mountain (Kingsport District): $5,000 – Scholarships for summer camp fees and transportation
> Wheeler UMC (Kingsport District): $5,000 – New school partnership; child-care scholarships; Christmas food boxes and gifts
> Susannah’s House (Knoxville District): $5,000 – Support for drug-dependent mothers and babies
> Camp Wesley Woods (Maryville District): $5,000 – Summer camp outreach into communities
> Morgan-Scott-Roane Parish (Oak Ridge District): $5,000 – Monthly food boxes; weekend backpack food; summer garden development
> Tazewell District Church & Community Ministry: $5,000 – After-school and summer-reading programs for the Elk Garden School community
> Out of the Box UMC (Wytheville District): $5,000 – Backpack ministry providing weekend food
Holston members are encouraged to continue giving to the Annual Conference offering (now named “Way to Give”) with at least $10 per average worship attendance. Every church member is asked to give 10 hours of service for local children in need.
The total offering received is now $191,459, according to the treasurer's office.
In October, 12 groups received a total $40,800 from the offering.
Visit WaytoGive.Holston.org for more information, to make an online gift, or to record your number of service hours.
(Read some of the stories generated by Holston's children in poverty emphasis. Send us your own to thecall@holston.org.)