The Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota
1. Indicate the grant program you are applying for (choose only one):
Growth
New Ministries
X Rural Ministry,
Other, specify: ____________________
The Grant Evaluation Committee reserves the right to transfer your request to a different grant program.
2. Amount of grant sought $7,947
3. Title of project for which grant is sought.
Spirit of the Heartland Total Ministry Training and Development.
4. Have you received a grant for this project before? X yes no
If yes, how much? $6,800. For how many years? 1
Which grant program(s)? Rural Ministries
5. Congregation or organization submitting request
Name Spirit of the Heartland: Episcopalians in Total Ministry
The Rev. Patricia Gillespie, Pastoral Mentor
Address 29717 Island Lake Road, St. Joseph, MN a 56374
Phone 320-363-7422
Website www.MotherFlash.com/spirit
6. Name(s) of person(s) preparing the request
Name(s) The Spirit of the Heartland Council:
Ann Beard, The Rev. Connie Claxton, David Dodds, The Rev Pat Gillespie,
The Rev. Priscilla Gray, Linda Maloney, Bea Winkler
Address 29717 Island Lake Road, St. Joseph, MN a 56374
Phone 320-363-7422
E-mail spiritcouncil@MotherFlash.com
7. Contact person(s), if different from item 6.
Name (Same)
Address
Phone
8. Briefly describe or list the goals and objectives of this proposal. The[y] should be measurable goals and objectives for which progress can be easily evaluated.
The Spirit of the Heartland is a group of covenanted churches committed to:
* The discernment, formation, training and implementation of Total Ministry Teams (2) to be deployed and functioning in several churches in central Minnesota. At present these parishes include St. Stephen's in Paynesville, The Episcopal Church of Our Savior in Little Falls, The Church of the Good Samaritan in Sauk Centre, and St. John's in St. Cloud. It is projected that the ministry will grow to other Episcopal churches in the area, as interest has been shown in the program.
* Ongoing discernment, formation and education for new members as well as continuing support for the established team.
* The enhancement of communication between churches and Total Ministry Team Members, the Region III churches and Spirit of the Heartland Council.
9. Briefly describe the action plans to achieve the goals and objectives.
* To employ an Administrative Assistant to work with the newsletter and other office work
* To secure a Communications Coordinator until we are able to call someone to that ministry on the team.
* To supplement our Communal Resource Library, that is used for training and as an ongoing resource.
* To purchase additional software that will facilitate communication within the Team and churches,.
* To facilitate Internet access for team members.
* To continue to develop and enhance our website.
* To establish a fund to cover travel for trainers and team members.
* To establish a scholarship fund to assist those who are not able to fund books or travel.
10. How was this proposal developed? Did a vestry, Bishop's Committee or commission approve and develop the proposal? Please describe the process which led to this request.
* Several years of Regional and Regional Steering Committee planning.
* Region III Program Ministries inspired added communication with the addition of a web site (www.MotherFlash.com), Education For Ministry classes and Needs/Gifts discernment.
* Canon Missioners Connie Claxton, Lisa Kimball and Steve Schaitberger facilitated regional dialogues which resulted in the conviction that Total Ministry will only work as multi-church effort in central Minnesota.
* While evaluating our first year, Spirit of the Heartland Council and Team Members made suggestions for improvement and growth and approved the grant proposal and directed that it be submitted to the Diocese.
11. Describe how this proposal fits into the overall mission statement of the congregation or program seeking funds.
The Mission of Spirit of the Heartland is:
* to "listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches". (Rev. 2)
* to increase the ministry of "all the baptized".
* to bring together the members of the "body of Christ" in central MN.
This is carried out by discernment, a focus on the Baptismal Covenant, implementation of Total Ministry Programs, and the ability to network together on the Internet.
12. Describe how this proposal helps to fulfill one or more aspects of the Vision Statement of the Diocese of Minnesota.
"Actively promote the health and wellness of existing congregations" by providing programs and support/resources not usually available in smaller congregations.
Out reach both at regional and parish levels "Expand and empower lay leadership in the [region]" through gifts discernment programs/retreats and leader/ministry training and support.
13. How does this proposal help carry out the mission of the Church to "restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." BCP page 855
Through a focus on the Baptismal Covenant and the ministry of all believers, we hope to become a welcoming community of active, ministering evangelists spreading God's Good News.
14. How did you arrive at the determination that there was a need for this program or project? Please be as specific as you can be.
Many tiny parishes in Region III feel unable to provide for their own ministry needs with the traditional models of ministry. In this beginning transition time, while we are developing and completing our team, we have found a need to support our team with a small, reliable hired staff.
15. Please describe how this project fulfills the specific criteria associated with the grant program you are applying for.
Spirit of the Heartland was formed specifically of "country parishes and missions" "for the support of lay or ordained rural ministers." We are those parishes and missions, and our goal is to support lay minsters to serve with ordained ministers, which is the support that ordained ministers need in rural parishes.
16. Please describe the process you will use to evaluate whether the goals and objectives of the project are being met.
Evaluation will be conducted by:
* Reporting and discussion at Regional Meetings and Spirit of the Heartland Council meetings that will be conducted quarterly.
* Individual programs/retreats will include written evaluations.
* Reflective journaling will be done by the trainees.
* Regional Training Team will use evaluation, feedback and ongoing needs discernment to modify and adjust the program.
*Measurable objectives include increases in attendance at trainings, EFM enrollment, number of individual lay ministers listed on our online ministry rota, and eventually numbers of ministers licensed, commissioned, and ordained for ministry in our parishes.
17. Grant recipients are expected to report to the Grant Evaluation Committee on the progress of their project at least annually. Please describe how you intend to report to the Grant Evaluation Committee about your progress as you carry out this project. If you received a grant last year, please include a report on your progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the project.
Our progress always available for everyone to review on our web page: www. MotherFlash.com/spirit
At the end of the year covered by the grant, printed copies of a selection of web pages will be submitted for review by those without internet access. A brief written overview will also be included. For a report on last year's program (which is not complete until April), please see attached documents.
18. Please attach a detailed budget for the entire period during which the grant would be used. A budget for both the sponsoring congregation or organization and for the project should be provided.
See attachments.
19. Please indicate how you propose to "repay" the grant in ministry to the community you serve.
The community served by Spirit of the Heartland is specifically the parishes involved. They are "repaid" with training and formation programs for their ministers and congregation members. We also offer training/formation, such as preparing licensed preachers, for lay ministers from churches not covenanted as part of Spirit of the Heartland. The wider community will be served when the parishes have well-prepared outreach ministers involved in community programs. In addition, our Education for Ministry groups are open to people from other denominations and unchurched seekers.
20. Please describe how your congregation or program is providing matching funds for this project. If any of the matching is in-kind, please specifically list the names of people and types of resources offered as in-kind and how they would be used to carry out the project.
See attached budget for details.
21. If this request is from a congregation, is your congregation paying its full or adjusted Diocesan Fair Share? [X] yes, [ ] no. If the Fair Share Committee has reduced the amount of the Fair Share, indicate the details and reasoning for their actions.
All participating churches paid their Fair Share in the last fiscal year. St. John's has a reduced rate on account of their recent building campaign.
22. On the basis of Bishop Jelinek's requests to all congregations, has the Rev. Mark Clevenger visited you[r] congregation for a preliminary Plan For Mission presentation?
[X] yes, [ ] no. If no, what efforts have been made to schedule such a presentation?
Mark Clevenger and Tony Watkins have made presentations at Good Samaritan, Sauk Centre. There are plans to have a Plan For Mission presentation at Our Saviour's, Little Falls, in the spring.