Adapting To Change: Creative Funding Suggestions for Small Church Outreach

The post below if from The Rev. Steve Kelsey, Missioner to the Greater Hartford Regional Ministry (GHRM). The GHRM is a cluster of churches located in Hartford, Connecticut (Northeastern United States). The church about which he writes, and seeks assistance, is one that is located in an area of rapidly changing demographics, and the church is adapting to that change. Interestingly, the ability to adapt to change is one of the congregational characteristics found in growing small churches.

The purpose of sharing the Rev. Kelsey's GHRM appeal is twofold. First, I am certain they would welcome contributions, but it also invites the opportunity for other small churches (including clusters) to share creative ways that they have been able to fund outreach ministries.
Faithfully in Christ, in whose body and mission we are all united,
Suzanne+
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Greetings

We have had an interesting experience this Spring and early Summer, at St. James', Hartford. Now, we need your help.

In early June, we faced at once the closing of the Headstart program which used our Parish Hall, and word that the Bishop's Fund for Children in our Diocese had decided not to fund our after-school literacy program for children, after years of support.

We started immediately to meet with local, neighborhood leaders and parents, as these two losses within one week would hit the young families of the south end of Hartford very hard ... and we have, today, signed a contract with a local resident of our neighborhood who will be starting her own business, running a pre-school program out of our facilities, starting in the early Fall !!! Great community organizing, we think!

Now, we turn to how to resurrect the "CHILD" ("Children's Hour in Learning and Discovery") program at St. James'. This is the afterschool literacy program we have been supporting for a number of years now. The good folks at St. John's, West Hartford, encouraged us to explore further how we might advance this program, and out of those conversations, St. James' has initiated a program advancing "English as a Second Language" and "Spanish as a Second Language" courses, which will begin this September.

Meanwhile, the parents of those attending our CHILD program have pulled together to urge us to find a way to continue to offer the CHILD program, despite the sudden withdrawal of funding from the Bishop's Fund for Children. A group has been meeting to explore what it would take to make this happen, and today, we have met to clarify what this would entail.

We have the local leadership lined up, and most of the tutors and other leaders. St. James' is ready to provide the space and other on site support. What we need, plainly, is funding to pay for the one paid staff member needed to pull the program together.

BOTTOM LINE: we need to raise $10,000 within the next month ... and we will be able to resurrect the program.

We believe this is doable -- but we need your help.

We have until August 17th to get an indication that we have a lead on that money, and if we have that sense, we are prepared to "step into the breach" and work to make this happen. We have people locally looking at different possibilities, and we think they will be productive. But we need more help!

If you can help us in any way, or have any suggestions as to where we might go to raise such money, as a one-time, emergency support, we are convinced that we can use the next year to explore and develop other sources of support and keep this vital program alive.

If you can help us with even a nominal contribution, or have any suggestions as to where we might look for support, please contact Louise Loomis at necc@cognitivecenter.org and let her know, before August 17th.

Thanks so much for any support you can give us, and please keep us in your prayers,

Steve

Steve Kelsey, Missioner
Greater Hartford Regional Ministry
12 Rector Street
East Hartford, CT 06108
(860) 559-0347
steve.kelsey@juno.com