The Congregational Vitality Team is pleased to announce a new grant program for local churches throughout our conference.

Grants are now available in the following areas:

• Safe Sanctuaries – We will reimburse a church up to $250 per door to add windows to doors where children/youth are meeting. These grant requests will be processed as they are received.

NOTE: The deadline for the following grant requests are March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. We will process grants received each quarter by the end of the following quarter. For example: a grant request received in July will be processed by December 31^st.

• Worship Technology – Equipment and/or programs which can be used to increase a church’s reach through online or other types of hybrid processes.
• First-Time Guest Hospitality – A variety of ways to welcome new people and make them feel at home in your church. Examples include, but are not limited to: signing (inside and out), welcome center items, training and resources, etc.
• Evangelism (Reaching New People) – innovated ways to reach those who are not currently connected to a church.
• Discipleship – resources designed to grow those who are in the congregation now closer to Christ. Resources and programs to equip the ministry of the church to make disciples who make disciples.
• Generative Ministry (Starting a New Ministry) – resources for churches who are starting anew ministry of some type to serve their congregation and/or their community.
• Celebrate Recovery / Recovery Ministry – resources for churches who are starting a new recovery focused ministry or growing an existing recovery ministry.
• New Church Start (Fresh Expressions, Multi-Site, Adoption Model, Vital Merger, etc.) – resources for individuals or churches/charges who are working to start a new church with the intention of reaching new people.

Note: This grant program is not for salaries, facilities maintenance, or repairs.

Grant requests will be reviewed by the Congregational Vitality Grant Team and processed based on the grant type and amount requested.

All grant requests must use the Congregational Vitality Grant Request Form. You can access this form by clicking HERE. The form must be complete with all the requested information and attachments. Return the form to: congregationalvitality@wvumc.org.

Over the years, churches in our conference have reached the end of their life-cycle and have closed. We celebrate their ministry and the impact they made on those in their congregations, and in their communities. One way those churches have been able to leave a legacy for future generations is through the sale of property. A portion of the proceeds is made available to our conference Congregational Vitality Team. We are blessed with the opportunity now to reinvest those funds through this grant program.

Questions? Please contact Congregational Vitality at congregationalvitality@wvumc.org.