Announcing the 2020-21 NBA Mission & Ministry Grant Recipients
For the fourth year of the Mission & Ministry Grants Program, the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is granting a total of $180,000 to 23 Disciples projects and ministries working with older adults and at-risk children and youth.
The NBA announced the launch of its Mission & Ministry Grant program in June 2017. This program makes purpose-restricted funds available for distribution through grants to Disciples congregations and health and social service ministries. The NBA Grants Committee met virtually to evaluate and accept applications; grant funds have now been distributed to selected projects.
“We had such a strong pool of applicants for our Mission & Ministry grants this year,” says Grants Coordinator Kara Whitehouse Qaoud. “In a year marked by so much uncertainty and need, these health and social service ministries are providing real life-sustaining care to older adults, youth, and across local communities.”
This year’s grantees are located across 11 Disciples regions. Of the 23 selected projects, 14 are focused on at-risk children and youth; seven are focused on older adults; and five are intergenerational, serving both communities. Seven of these grantees also received Mission & Ministry Grant funds from NBA last year and nine received funding through our COVID-19 NBA Response Grants.
The NBA is committed to providing resources and support to organizations serving communities of color, where we recognize the systemic needs are often greater. This year, the majority of the ministries and organizations receiving grant support are working to partner and provide care in diverse, ethnic communities including places where English is not the first language.
“I think about all the societal shifts and world changing events that occurred in the 137 years in which the NBA has been accompanying Disciples in providing compassionate care,” says Executive Vice President Rebecca Hale. “This year’s grants feel particularly impactful as even in the midst of the radical shifts in ministry the pandemic has brought, Disciples ministries are continuing to turn towards their communities, accompanying those most in need.”
Learn more about the fourth cohort of grantees and their projects below! We look forward to highlighting each ministry through storytelling starting in the spring of 2021.
| Organization | Project Title | City | State | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Saving Institute | Child Saving Institute Independent Living Skills Program | Omaha | NE | $7,500 |
| Christian Services for Children in Alabama | ASPIRE: Achieve, Succeed, Persevere, Imagine, Empower | Selma | AL | $10,000 |
| Community of Just Love | Young Change Makers | Houston | TX | $4,000 |
| FCC Antelope Valley | Live, Love, Thrive and Move Kids Program | Lancaster | CA | $6,000 |
| FCC Princeton, KY | Impacting the Future: Growing Leaders Through Adventure and Service | Princeton | KY | $7,500 |
| Juliette Fowler Communities | The Opportunity Center: Education and Mentoring Services | Dallas | TX | $9,000 |
| New Century Fellowship CC | Live By Purpose for Youths | Louisville | KY | $5,000 |
| New Hope CC | Rural educational (10-25) tutorial; Math, Science, ELA and History | Carthage | MS | $8,000 |
| Shalom CC | S.M.A.R.T. (Science, Math, Art/Agriculture, Reading, Technology) Academic Program | Greensboro | NC | $7,000 |
| The LabOratory Church | Project Least: Love Everyone as Self Training | Indianapolis | IN | $5,000 |
| University Place CC | Dream Education and Nutritional Support | Champaign | IL | $8,000 |
| Beloved Christian Church | Compassion Practice+ | San Diego | CA | $10,000 |
| Christian Care Communities | Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care using Best Friends Approach | Louisville | KY | $9,000 |
| FCC Madisonville | XYZ Senior Gathering | Madisonville | KY | $8,000 |
| FCC Maryville | Older Adult Ministries in Mid-America | Maryville | MO | $10,000 |
| Friends of Kansas Christian Home | Acquisition of Communicative Technology | Newton | KS | $7,000 |
| Journey of Faith CC | NWWNA Health and Wellness Program | Ann Arbor | MI | $9,000 |
| Templo Cristiana Central | Older Adult Ministry Program Development for CPE Students | Phoenix | AZ | $5,000 |
| Christian Church of Wilkinsburg | Generation to Generation: Sharing Stories to Save the Next Generation | Pittsburgh | PA | $10,000 |
| Community CC | Growing Together One Seed at a Time | Manchester | MO | $8,000 |
| Kemper Road CC | Robotics and Engineering Kids Club + Computer Basics for Seniors | Cincinnati | OH | $8,000 |
| United Church UCC/DOC | Turning the Tables Towards Mental Wellness | St. Augustine | FL | $9,000 |
| Woodhaven | Virtual Reality to Enhance Quality of Life | Columbia | MO | $10,000 |
As the health and social services general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the National Benevolent Association partners with congregations, regions, general ministries, and a variety of Disciples-related health and social service providers to create communities of compassion and care. Founded in 1887 by six women responding to the needs of the day and on their doorsteps, for more than 130 years the NBA has continued to serve “the least of these.” Learn more at www.nbacares.org.
