Vermont Diocese Awards $22,000 in Grants
Episcopal Church in Vermont Funds Three Local Mission Initiatives
The Grants and Loans Committee of the Episcopal Church in Vermont recently awarded grants totaling $22,000 to help fund three mission initiatives across the state of Vermont. We are pleased to announce the following recipients:
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Wells: $15,000
Vermonters from as far away as Poultney, Dorset, Pawlet, and Middletown Springs all call St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wells their home. To preserve and expand their welcoming ministry, the congregation will soon begin remodeling their parish house to make the building and restroom wheelchair accessible, to accommodate larger parish and community gatherings, and to provide appropriate space for Christian formation and education programs. The remodel is supported, in part, by a $15,000 grant from the Episcopal Church in Vermont.
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington: $5,000
The ongoing redevelopment of downtown Burlington has brought with it new social and cultural dynamics. In response, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul is undertaking a year-long process of discernment to expand and deepen their missional call as an urban cathedral, exploring the local, diocesan and wider Episcopal dimensions. A $ 5,000 matching grant from the Episcopal Church in Vermont will help defer the costs of four Episcopal priests from diverse congregations who were invited to preach and teach at the Cathedral during the Lenten season; other speakers who will offer public lectures; sermons and presentations being made available via podcast for a wider audience; and resources to set the stage for future planning and implementation.
Camp Agape Vermont: $2,000
After raising $2,000 through its own contribution campaign at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Colchester, Camp Agape Vermont was awarded an additional $2,000 in matching funds from the Episcopal Church in Vermont. Now in its 12th year, Camp Agape Vermont offers an exciting, fun-filled, and cost-free week of summer camping to children with an incarcerated parent. The organization is a collaboration between the Episcopal, United Methodist, and UCC churches, with programs hosted by Bethany Birches Camp in Plymouth, an affiliate of the Mennonite Church. The combined contributions will help Camp Agape Vermont meet its goal of providing camp for 55 children this summer.
More to come!
The Grants and Loans Committee plans to make discretionary awards several times this year. Application deadlines for 2017 are May 19, July 21, September 15, and November 17. Members, parishes, and institutions of the Episcopal Church in Vermont are invited to apply. Forms and criteria can be found online at http://diovermont.org/grants-and-loans-committee/