2017 Kingdom Advancement Grants
Trinity Church announces with great joy the 2017 Kingdom Advancement Grants. Our faith community is committed to global relationships that demonstrate solidarity, fellowship and missional engagement with the global church. We are confident that these 15 grants for a total of $257,500 will catalyze strategic ministry endeavors to advance His Kingdom and strengthen His Church.
These grants are possible thanks to the generous and faithful giving by Trinity attendees in 2016 through designated giving and the regular weekend offering. We are grateful for God’s generosity toward us and the opportunity in turn to generously engage in global missions.
Please note the Engagement Opportunity after each award for Trinity attendees.
If you are looking for a family-friendly missions trip, or would like an economical Missions 101 exposure,
we recommend the Tijuana, Mexico experience, June 26 – July 1.
Other trips are being organized to visit, encourage and learn. For more information or to be more involved with Trinity’s global relationships, write [email protected].
$5,000 — Hat Trick Soccer Ministry Bogota, Colombia
Submitted by Trinity’s Strategic Partner in Bogota, Unicentro Christian Fellowship Church, this final grant again provides funds for soccer uniforms, transportation, and other program costs as the ministry completes its transition to being more independently directed and managed.
Trinity celebrates this successful and innovative ministry outreach, the increasing availability of local finances to cover personnel costs and the majority of logistical expenses, and the strengthening relationship between Crosswalk (Trinity’s High School Ministry) and Hat Trick.
Engagement Opportunity: Crosswalk will be taking six students this summer to Bogota to help Hat Trick put on a soccer camp. Applications are available in the Student Center.
$10,000 — Leadership/Pastoral Training Wayuu Guajira, Colombia
Submitted by Trinity Missionary Ubaldo Restan (Latin America Mission) of the Colombian Pastoral Institute (CIPEP), this proposal expands the highly successful training for Wayuu pastors and lay leaders.
This unique pastoral program is the only training available to the Wayuu leaders. Over the last six years we have helped train “more than 900 workers; 137 graduated with a Certificate in Ministerial Theology. CIPEP now has a presence in more than 120 WAYUU rural areas!”
Trinity celebrates the 12 new congregations that have been started in the last 3 years, and the strong sense of unity among the various churches and denominations that avail of this training.
Engagement Opportunity: Join the team Trinity is sending to visit the Wayuu to celebrate the work of God in their midst, and to together discern next steps in our relationship with LAM, CIPEP and the Wayuu.
$5,000 — Training Urban Church Planters Lima, Peru
Submitted by Trinity’s Missionary Associate Dave Brouchek, International Director of South America Mission, and the Lima Initiative Directors, Julio & Olga Chiang, the Incubator is geared to catalyze urban church planting in Lima.
This two-year church-planter development program for 12 couples is set to launch in early 2017. The recent successful launch of City Church by the Chiangs to reach the upper tiers of society provides hope of a methodology that is both fresh and viable. This award provides scholarships for four couples in the Incubator’s first cohort.
Engagement Opportunity: Trinity has an open invitation for deeper relationships with City Church and the Lima Initiative. Awareness of the Spanish culture and language, though not essential, would be a plus for Trinity attendees willing to journey with the Chiangs, City Church, and SAM.
$13,200 — Brick Yard Afterschool Project Gyergyoszentmiklos, Romania
Submitted by Trinity’s Strategic Partner, Gyergyoszentmiklos Baptist Church, this grant continues Trinity’s partnership to address the 90% plus illiteracy rate among the Roma children. In 2015 Trinity helped complete a 4-classroom school building in the Roma village.
In 2016, a third class was launched; the school now serves students from grades 1-5. A fourth class is planned for 2017. This award will help fund programming for two classes. We celebrate “the three young women who moved here from other parts of Romania to join our church – and this missions team – to teach these gypsies.” Additional funding for the school comes from the local church, other partners, including the local Catholic Church!
Engagement Opportunity: Educators to provide teacher encouragement and training, as well as assistance in building a long-range development plan for the school.
$7,700 — Camp Impact 2017! Transylvania, Romania
Submitted by Trinity’s Strategic Partner, Gyergyoszentmiklos Baptist Church, this grant provides 75% scholarships for “2 camps over 2 weeks, for 2 different age groups.” These camps are relevant to “non-believers in the Gyergyo basin who are not open to the Gospel, but are open to learning English from ‘native speakers’”.
“Seeing and experiencing the impact and abundance of blessings that followed the inaugural English Camp in Transylvania in 2016, on the participants and our teams, we feel that it is God’s will for us to continue this project as an important building block in realizing His purposes in our area.”
Last year Trinity young adults and two educators from Williamston partnered with young adults from Rose Garden church (Budapest, Hungary), and young adults from the Gyergyo church to lead this camp. It was a powerful testimony to the local people to see the global church present and serving together!
Engagement Opportunity: There are opportunities for young adults, especially language teachers, or those with camp/VBS experience, to serve at either or both camps this summer. A married couple to tutor the church leadership in English, and encourage the leadership team would be welcome.
$49,800 — Dorcas Tea és Kávéház Gyergyoszentmiklos, Romania
Submitted by Trinity’s Strategic Partner, Gyergyoszentmiklos Baptist Church, this grant provides turnkey funding to launch a gathering space in the city center for those looking for “alternatives to the local bars to meet and chat.”
Drawing on the congregation’s desire “to complement direct evangelism” and “create a bridge between the young Gyergyo church and the people of the city” this café has the potential to make a difference in the town and the local church through their well-thought-through and vision-filled plan.
Engagement Opportunity: A youth band from Trinity (or from any of our global partners!) to provide music in the café for a week or two. This also provides an opportunity to fulfill their worship team’s request (last year) for training and development.
$8,550 — Leadership Development Galway, Ireland
Submitted by Trinity’s Strategic Partner in Ireland, Discovery Church, this award provides supplemental funds to undergird the church’s 2017 focus to develop leaders of all age levels in the church. A majority of the award will be used to assist 40 young people (ages 12-18) with partial scholarships to attend the Assemblies of God PULSE camp, north of Dublin. The remainder of the grant will be used to purchase resources like the John Maxwell Leadership Training Curriculum and access the Global Leadership Summit simulcast.
Engagement Opportunity: Trinity has an invite for trainers to invest in leadership development of their adult leaders.
$5,000 — Kids Camp Training & Launch Galway, Ireland
Submitted by Trinity’s Strategic Partner in Ireland, Discovery Church, this grant helps launch a three-day VBS-like program in Galway. Approximately half the grant will go toward materials and supplies, the other half designated for pre-event leader/volunteer training.
“Irish parents simply do not trust the church due to child abuse by clergy in our nation. Trust and an additional ‘something attractive’ is what we believe will help create interest in the church for families with young children.”
Engagement Opportunity: Discovery Church has invited Trinity to send a team of up to 20 people this summer to train their volunteers/leaders and co-launch this outreach to young children.
$14,500 — Shielding Girls from Sex Slavery Nuwakot, Nepal
Submitted by Trinity’s anti-trafficking group, HOPE Ministry, this grant continues to provide goats to families that “are at risk of selling their young daughters to human traffickers”.
Working with She Is Safe and Good News for Nepal, HOPE Ministry anticipates a visit in 2017 to re-engage this partnership that was disrupted by the April 2015 earthquake and ministry transition with She Is Safe’s Nepal Director.
The funds are designated for the re-stocking of goats and re-energizing the social awareness and advocacy of the Red Panda Women. The women chose this name for themselves because the native red panda is (also) endangered. An additional $2000 has been awarded for any earthquake related re-development that may still be needed in the village.
Engagement Opportunity: Join HOPE Ministry’s leadership for an onsite visit this year. Given the necessary in-country travel by motorbike and then on foot to reach this village, the degree of physical difficulty for this trip is moderate to high.
$10,000 — Food Security Enhancement Matungulu, Kenya
Submitted by Trinity Missionary Associates Ruth and Julius Okello (TM Rural Community Development Organization), this grant provides funds to expand their successful intervention on behalf of poor families in rural Kenya.
Expanding from their growing goat program, to also include poultry farming, this award provides 50% of the money required to invest in much needed infrastructure: a deep freezer, microfinance corpus, a cooler for vaccinations for the chickens, etc. We celebrate the supplemental funding provided by the Rotary Club of Lansing to purchase a generator to keep the incubation and hatching of eggs continuous and reliable.
“TM is confident that our members will start having regular monthly income in a few months once the infrastructure challenges are resolved. Regular income in turn will enable members to feed and educate their children thus improving food security and breaking the cycle of poverty.
Engagement Opportunity: Trinity would love to document the Okellos’ story, how one couple is making a difference through holistic community development.
$49,000 — Full Circle Mission Nairobi, Kenya
Submitted by Trinity’s newer Strategic Partner, Mamlaka Hill Chapel, this grant helps support and stabilize the ministry in 2017. This year of ministry transition welcomes a new Director to Full Circle, even as they relocate to the new Ruaka Campus from the house on Ngong Road.
Full Circle reaches out to women trapped in prostitution who desire a second chance at life through Gospel-based transformation. This award will carry approximately 50% of the cost of serving this year’s cohort of 20 women who start the one-year program in March. Included in the award are funds for the relocation of the Mamlaka Professional Institute that provides life skills and vocational training.
Engagement Opportunity: Trinity is invited to visit and encourage this cohort as well as get to know the Full Circle staff. There exists the possibility of further partnership in this outreach beyond 2017, especially for members of Trinity’s dynamic HOPE Ministry.
$30,000 — Seed Capital Lusaka, Zambia
Submitted by Christ Connect Family Church (formerly Maranatha Family Worship Center), Trinity’s Strategic Partner in Zimbabwe, this award helps launch a church planting movement in Zambia by helping CCFC provide access to funds to develop dependable and stable sources of ministry income.
Stepping out in faith last year, CCFC’s initial church plant in Lusaka has grown to 50 people. “God has given us grace such that within our first year in Zambia, we have planted three churches in three provinces.” A church planting movement is developing!
Last year, the church was given access to 400 hectares for agricultural development. With successful one-year-old pilot projects growing cash crops (vegetables), and the knowledge and experience gained from the Harare farm, they are ready to launch 1-2 seed farms this year, and exponentially develop a farming base on the 400 hectares to fund this church planting movement.
Trusting the divine nature of their vision, the fruit of one year of ministry in Lusaka, the unexpected provision of 400 hectares of land, and the competence of the local leader Weston Chewe, we believe that this unique grant to CCFC will in turn provide them the seed capital to build a long-term funding base to sustain church planting and growth in Zambia.
Engagement Opportunity: There exists opportunity for professionals to help assess and plan the progressively clearing and farming of 400 hectares.
$21,600 — Leadership Development and Biblical Training Harare, Zimbabwe
Submitted by Christ Connect Family Church (formerly Maranatha Family Worship Center), Trinity’s Strategic Partner in Zimbabwe, this grant underwrites the first year cost to train the second cohort of church leaders and pastors.
“Leadership development is fundamental to church growth, and has fast become a major factor that holds back the development of the African church. While many churches are being planted, the rate of closure equals that… The training will be conducted for 10 days every four months… over two years for a total of 480 hours of both contact and practical ministry.”
All 29 students of the first cohort are expected to graduate this August. Already multiple cell groups and four church plants have been started by these students.
Engagement Opportunity: Men and women with pastoral or Biblical training are invited to co-teach spiritual leadership and formation, theology, evangelism, church/project management, etc., with CCFC leaders.
$6,400 — Women Empowerment Conference Harare, Zimbabwe
Submitted by Christ Connect Family Church (formerly Maranatha Family Worship Center), Trinity’s Strategic Partner in Zimbabwe, this grant “is to help raise women to the same level of involvement as their male counterparts in the church” through a series of conferences that started in May, 2013. Trinity is pleased to meet the financial needs of the 2017 Women Empowerment Conference.
CCFC’s Women’s Ministry led by Chipo Katsande believes that “a home is made by women (musha mukadzi) and God has a special place for women in the church.” They are convinced that “exposing women to the life-changing Word of God, and appropriate training, will help them achieve their God-given capacities in ministry, homes and communities.”
Engagement Opportunity: Trinity sent four women for the October, 2016 conference; their participation was welcomed and appreciated. There continues to be an open invitation for three to four women to co-teach and participate.
$21,750 — Farming Expansion Harare, Zimbabwe
Submitted by Christ Connect Family Church (formerly Maranatha Family Worship Center), Trinity’s Strategic Partner in Zimbabwe, this final grant provides matching funds to double — in 2017 — the planting capacity from the current 61,000 plants. The award will supplement income from existing farm revenue to bring another 5 acres of their 15 acre farm under drip irrigation, install a reservoir tank, and upgrade the farm fence. The farm is poised to be self-funding and income-generating from 2018 onward for the church’s many vibrant outreach ministries.
Engagement Opportunity: CCFC has extended an invitation to those with farming know-how to help with the construction of the reservoir tank and the new drip irrigation. Additionally, they have expressed the opportunity for a farm administrator to consult with on the necessary systems for managing a cash-crop based farm. Trinity is pulling together a group of experts for a half-a-day consultation here in Lansing to interact with CCFC to better understand this opportunity, and our response.
Soli Deo Gloria