Purpose
The Church Enrichment Grants (CEG) are designed to help fund ministry events that directly contribute to the spiritual vitality of a cappella churches of Christ in the Pacific Northwest and/or provide spiritual education. Past examples of possible events include minister seminars, regional workshops and programs, Christian college fairs, men’s ministries, women’s conferences, youth programs, and singles ministries.
Eligibility
Events eligible to receive a Church Enrichment Grant must meet the following criteria:
- Events must benefit multiple congregations*.
- Events must be explicitly Christian in nature (not just “faith based”).
- Events must be designed to benefit a cappella churches of Christ.
- Events must be sponsored and administered by a member in good standing at a congregation affiliated with churches of Christ.
*Note: Priority will be given to those requests that benefit as many congregations as possible. Grants will NOT be awarded for events or programs that only benefit one congregation, are already receiving major funding from other sources, focus primarily on societal improvement, capital funding, or funds for staffing.
Application Process
Successful application packets must include the following four items:
- A clear explanation of the event, program or initiative that includes its vision and goals.
- The proposal should clearly explain its nature, where and when it will be held, and the target audiences (i.e. young adults, bible class teachers, average person, etc.)
- The proposal should include the number of people and the number of churches that will be impacted by the ministry event.
- The proposal should also highlight how it will benefit churches of Christ in the Pacific Northwest, and no similar offering exists.
- A line-item budget. Please indicate:
- Expected expenses for the event or program.
- Other anticipated sources of revenue (such as fees, individual congregational support, etc.) and how the request fits into the revenue budget.
- Which congregation or established non-profit organization will serve as custodian of any grant funds.
- A one paragraph biographical sketch of the applicant and co-applicants indicating qualifications for successfully executing the proposal. Be sure to include all relevant contact information.
- One letter of reference from the applicant’s current eldership (or recognized church leadership) indicating his/her good standing in the congregation. The letter should also indicate that the congregation will agree to oversee the allocated funds.
Only complete application packets will be considered.
Address for Submissions
Application packets should be submitted electronically to NWEF@oc.edu with the phrase “Northwest Church Enrichment Fund at OC” in the subject line.
Deadlines and Notifications
The deadline for applications for the 2020 funding cycle is March 30, 2020. Applicants will be notified on the disposition of their application by May 30th.
The Northwest Church Enrichment Fund @ OC is a legacy of Cascade College and Columbia Christian College created by Oklahoma Christian University in 2009. It comprises the former endowed scholarship funds of CC and CCC, now designated to provide scholarships to OC students from the Pacific Northwest. A portion of the funds are reserved for strengthening churches in the Northwest. The board consisting of members of the church located primarily in the Northwest determines the awarding of church enrichment grants.
