2012 Kingdom Advancement Grants
Trinity Church, through its Global Outreach Department, is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 Kingdom Advancement Grants.
The broad goals of the Kingdom Advancement Grants are evangelism among less-reached peoples, strategic intervention on behalf of the poor and marginalized, increased availability of Scripture, and contextualized leadership training and development.
We received 28 outstanding applications (19 last year). However, limited funds and agreed-upon criteria constrained the number of finalists and the award amounts.
We are pleased to announce the following nine finalists for a total grant allocation of $78,500. These grants are intended to stimulate ministry done directly by Trinity’s missionaries, associates and strategic partnerships.
$8,500— English Camp and Emerging Leaders Training, Budapest, Hungary
Submitted by Geza Kovacs, Trinity missionary and co-leader of our Strategic Partnership in Hungary, this grant expands the well-organized and effective summer outreach to unchurched teens in Budapest by the young adults from RoseGarden Church and Trinity. The grant supplements in part local funds raised by RoseGarden Church to underwrite camp expenses and scholarships.
The majority of the grant funds a new initiative to add a few days of leadership training for the young leaders from both churches after the English camp. The potential for future visioning and stronger church-to-church relationships is tremendous.
$5,000—Ministry Expansion, Istanbul, Turkey
Submitted by Trinity missionaries Larry and Nancy Milks, this grant helps SHARE Education Services expand from their 15-year base in Hungary to reach out to the “estimated 400-500 missionaries with school-aged children in Turkey.” Addressing parents’ educational concerns and issues, increasing testing opportunities, providing educational experiences for the kids, and offering professional resources will “help provide better educational support for an increased number of missionaries serving in Turkey. In turn, this will allow missionaries to continue in their ministry/evangelism among the unreached.”
More specifically, this grant will help subsidize the cost for 25 missionary families to attend SHARE’s five-day conference in Istanbul in October 2012. Trinity and another Lansing church will be sending an eight-member team to assist with teaching the children’s program at this conference.
$10,000—Student Leadership Project, Istanbul, Turkey
Submitted by Trinity missionaries (names withheld), this grant underwrites the entire student portion of the 2012 Turkish Student Summer Project. This annual project equips 20 select students from the Turkish Christian student movement Yeni-Yasam (New Life).
This is “one of the key ways we equip and train student leaders who have little to no support from their families. They will travel to a part of the country for two weeks where they will be taught skills in the areas of evangelism and discipleship and Christian leadership. Students will have a chance to put their faith into action.”
Organized in conjunction with local church leaders, national and international staff, the goal is to “build into future leaders of the local church” in a country that is 99% Muslim.
$15,000—Kato International Training Academy (KITA), Nigeria
Submitted by Trinity members Paul and Gwen Kato, this grant celebrates their ongoing efforts to make a difference in the lives of young Nigerians. Last year’s grant helped establish the Kano Resource Center where “young boys can come and read, attend soccer clinics and seminars, and learn basic computer skills.”
This year’s grant will help KITA “enter the second phase of development in Kano” and “establish a second resource center in Kaduna.”
This year’s grant has two parts. $5,000 is “to train Christian personnel in working with Muslims and leadership for both resource centers.” An additional $10,000 is being made available to KITA’s Board of Directors as a dollar-for-dollar match to raise additional resources to develop the Kaduna Resource Center.
We celebrate the recent launch of Trinity’s Nigeria Strategic Partnership Team co-led by the Redouteys and the Juhnkes and anticipate more significant engagement and integration with the Shephards (Trinity missionaries with SIM at Evangel Hospital in Jos) and other local leaders.
$10,000— Pastoral Equip Project, Nairobi, Kenya
Submitted through Trinity’s Kenya Strategic Partnership by Trinity members and former MSU international scholars Ruth and Julius Okello, this grant attempts to facilitate the Okellos’ compelling vision to “equip and train pastors in two large rural districts, Matungulu and Kangundo,” east of Nairobi.
A partial grant of $5,000 is intended to help develop the initial training curriculum, recruit quality trainers, and offer and evaluate core workshops and seminars before substantial investment in infrastructure.
We anticipate working with the leadership of the Lansing-based 501(c)3 TM Rural Community Development Organization and are making available an additional $5,000 as a dollar-for-dollar match to raise additional resources.
$3,000—Maninka Audio Media Outreach (MAMO), Kankan, Guinea
Submitted by Trinity SIM missionary Sue Bauerle, this grant will underwrite 50% of the Maninka Audio Ministry Outreach project.
The MAMO project will produce a DVD recording of “God’s Story” — a chronological telling of the Bible — to help people understand the full scope of salvation into Maninkan. “The Maninka is a Muslim people group in Guinea with an estimated population of 2 million and less than 50 believers of whom we are aware.”
The second audio recording “The Way of Righteousness” is a conversation between a Muslim and a Christian where questions are asked and answered. “As an oral culture, they love watching videos or listening to stories. This is an excellent way to share God’s Word in a nonthreatening but effective way, in the heart language of the Maninka.”
$5,000—Community Library, Korogocho, Kenya
Submitted through Trinity’s Kenya Strategic Partnership, this grant will provide the seed money to start a community library in the slum of Korogocho. “There are no libraries anywhere near Redeemed Gospel Church (RGC). With a family income of $1 a day, books are too expensive to purchase. A library would make books available to the extremely poor. Pastor Muthama as well as other Kenyan Pastors and Bishop Matheka all agree that the only path out of the slum for children is through education. Availability of books is a vital part of that education.”
The possibility of a leadership development and training section in this library for pastors and Christian workers would be an invaluable resource. We affirm the methodology, plans and communication surrounding this cross-cultural partnership.
Co-led by Trinity members, the Halsells and the Jones, Trinity’s Korogocho Redeemed Partnership Team provides leadership and coordination of Trinity’s growing partnership with RGC. More than 200 Trinity attendees (including Trinity kids!) sponsor 68 Kenyan children through Compassion International’s partnership with Redeemed Gospel Church.
$12,000—Neighborhood Ministry to the Poor, Galway, Ireland
Submitted by Paul Cullen Pastor of Discovery Church and co-leader of our Strategic Partnership in Ireland, this grant is the third one to supplement their church’s ongoing efforts to minister to those in need, especially the homeless and the hungry.
Initial funding helped secure a food trailer. Last year the church chose “a housing estate (neighborhood) and began the journey of being a consistent presence there. The level of volunteers and excitement is so strong around this ministry. We believe we have the capacity to take on a second housing estate that has many settled Travelers (Irish Gypsies).”
This year the grant is being awarded as matching funds for a maximum of $12,000. We celebrate Discovery Church’s sacrificial efforts and ministry bias to faithfully serve the poor during these financially challenging times and in the midst of their building acquisition efforts.
$10,000— CONPLEI 2012, Chapada dos Guimaraes, Brazil
Submitted by Trinity Mission Resource Team member and South America Mission’s (SAM) International Ministries Director Dave Broucek, this grant continues our commitment to SAM’s efforts to develop church planters and leaders among “the 340 tribal groups of Brazil, especially the 60-70 indigenous people groups with no Gospel witness in Brazil’s jungles.”
This grant, coupled with contributions from other North American churches, supplements locally raised funds to make possible CONPLEI 2012 – a leadership event for 3,000 evangelical indigenous leaders.
Trinity attendees have the opportunity to help set-up this strategic conference (July 18-22) on SAM’s training campus in rural Brazil.
Conclusion
Praise be to God for the faithful giving of Trinity attendees and members that make possible our collective efforts to strengthen Christ’s Church and expand His Kingdom around the world. We are both humbled and grateful for the privilege to partner globally in missio dei.
Soli Deo Gloria