Conference Board of Discipleship awards five Beyond the Walls grants

Submitted by the Rev. Kerry Greenhill
Beyond the Walls Review Team Coordinator

The Grant Review Team of the Conference Board of Discipleship is pleased to announce the awards for Round 4 of the 'Beyond the Walls' Grant Program.

Four churches and one campus ministry will receive funds in Round 4, to support projects that include expanding an after-school enrichment program, setting up an emergency cold-weather shelter for homeless individuals, a gospel choir that introduces participants and audiences to an inclusive understanding of Christianity, creating a new youth center in cooperation with other churches, and equipping church members to reach out and get to know their neighbors where they live. Funds are to be spent during a 12-month grant period, with final reports due in early 2017.

All of the applicants in this round are in Colorado. The Grant Review Team does consider geographic diversity in making awards, but this is secondary to the proposals’ fit with funding criteria, and limited by the churches and other ministries that choose to apply.

In this round, members of the Review Team consulted with applicants after proposals were submitted but before funding decisions were made. This collaborative process resulted in higher quality applications and greater clarity for both applicants and reviewers. The Review Team continues to evaluate the process of applying, funding, and supporting grantees with a goal of building capacity among Rocky Mountain Conference churches and ministries.

The Beyond the Walls Grant Program is funded by the Legacy Fund of the Rocky Mountain Conference. The Grant Review Team consists of Laurie Day, Rev. Kerry Greenhill, Rev. Jeff Hirota, and Ross Loomis. For more information, contact Rev. Kerry Greenhill, Review Team Coordinator, at klgreenhill@gmail.com.

Round 4 Grantees (Funds disbursed by Jan. 1, 2016)

Church Name	Project	District	Award Amount
Calhan UMC	CYERF Youth Center	Pike’s Peak	5,000
St Andrew UMC	The Good Hood	Mile High	4,800
CU-Wesley Fellowship	Mosaic Gospel Choir	Peaks	1,000
Fort Morgan	Cold-Weather Shelter	Northeast Colorado	5,000
First UMC Loveland	Corner to Corner After School Enrichment Program	Peaks	3,500