Mission Committee

The Presbytery of Chicago is eager to fund great ideas and programs in churches throughout the Presbytery, with a particular emphasis given to helping churches who might not be able to fund these ideas and programs on their own. This funding is available because of the witness and generosity of many faithful Presbyterians who came before us and we are deeply grateful for their contributions to the ongoing ministry of this Presbytery.

Funding currently exists for a wide variety of ministries, some based on the restrictions and parameters created by donors, while others reflect the creativity and openness of 21st-century ministry. We hope that these categories will spark your imaginations!

CONSIDER:

  • Funding for one-time events, outreach initiatives, or educational workshops
  • One-to-three-year mission opportunities, moving gradually towards being self-funded
  • Support for ongoing mission opportunities that are generating positive results
  • Charitable and religious works
  • Peacemaking
  • Camping and retreat opportunities
  • Campus ministry
  • Music ministry

Watch a video overview of the work of the Mission Committee!

GRANT DESCRIPTIONS | APPLICATIONS

Applications for the available funds are being received by the Mission Committee. Note submission deadlines for each grant program. Please note that these applications must be submitted by a church’s Session, not by individuals. The presbytery seeks to partner with congregations in this work.

PDF links to each grant are listed below the descriptions:

2024 Application for General Mission Grants

Instructions are included with the form. Be sure to download the form, fill it out, save it with a new name, and return it to the presbytery by email. Applications are received January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31 of each year.

2024 Salary Supplement Grant Program

As part of the Mission Committee’s work, the Salary Supplement grant is a 3-year Presbytery-funded grant, and is available to all qualified congregations. Congregations re-apply for Years 2 and 3 of this grant program. Applications are accepted annually, by May 1 each year. Send your applications or questions by email.

This program is designed for churches with a full-time pastor who are at a point in the life of their congregation where a detailed, systematic examination of their present and a focused look toward their future is desired by pastor and session. The founding rationale of the program notes that the best way to redevelop a congregation is to be sure that they have inspired, trained, and focused leadership and
that pastor and session are, indeed, working in tandem with each other. Recognizing, too, that a pastor and congregation constantly worrying about money have less focus on God’s call to them to live into the future, this grant does include both programming and funding.

The opportunity for supplemental funding, along with a 3-year commitment (of both congregation and Presbytery) to organizational guidance, is provided by the Presbytery of Chicago with funding from its 21st Century Fund to support churches who qualify, again, according to the guidelines as noted on the application and subject to Mission Committee approval.

Small Church Grant Program

Another program available to Presbytery of Chicago churches is the Small Church Program. An application for this program can be found here. Link

As the application notes, this opportunity for small churches (without full-time pastors) has been designed with the understanding that every congregation reaches a point in their life together when it would be helpful to examine all of the components of who they are, how they “do what they do,” and take a considered view of what the future might hold for their church family.

This program does not include funding, but does provide critical assessment, leadership training, and congregational discernment programming free of charge to the congregation; again, funded through the Presbytery of Chicago’s 21st Century Fund.

Applications are accepted annually, by May 1 of each year, and are subject to Mission Committee approval for this one-year program. Send your applications or questions by email.

Date
Info

03/01/24
2024 Application for General Mission Grants
03/01/24

01/05/24
2024 Salary Supplement Application
01/05/24

01/05/24
2024 Small Church Grant Program Application
01/05/24