Grants awarded by Trellis Foundation (the full list!)
Trellis Foundation is thrilled to be a catalyst for biblical, intentional, and innovative discipleship in the following churches and ministries. Click the green “+” button for more details about each initiative. Click the column title to sort the list by that category, too!
Initiative Title | Grant Recipient | Province | Grant Amount | Focus | Year Awarded | Initiative Details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Multiply Pastoral Residency | The Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada | AB | $30,000 | Education, Pastoral, Church Planting | 2023 | ECCC’s partnership with Trellis to create a reproducible internship process with churches for identifying, preparing, and sending people to lead ministries, serve in staff roles, or start and lead new churches. |
Headwaters Discipleship | The Harbour at Riondel | BC | Up to $20,000 | Young Adults, Discipleship Education, Spiritual Formation, Leadership Development, Creativity, Community, Creation | 2023 | Year three of a two month intensive school for the heart for young adults aged 19-25, held annually in May-June. This immersive experience will lead women and men to dive into the headwaters of their lives and hearts, to meet Jesus there and discover the wholeness God has for them. Led by Wild Goose Collective & The Harbour at Riondel on Kootenay Lake. Applications & details are available at: headwatersdiscipleship.net |
Spring/Fall Worship Leader Retreats | The Worship Project | ON | Up to $10,000 | Retreats; Worship Leaders | 2023 | Both a spring and fall retreat which aim to support worship leaders in their development to disciple their own communities across southern Ontario and beyond. |
Youth Discipleship Worker | Malmo Mission Covenant Church | AB | $6000 | Youth Discipleship | 2023 | To bring on a youth discipleship worker and enable them to participate in ECCC’s Multiply internship/emerging leaders development program. |
Fall Women's Retreat | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $1500 | Women's Ministry | 2023 | A fall women's retreat focusing on building community with new and old members of their community with a focus on hope, healing and faith. |
Worship Leaders Retreat | The Worship Project | ON | $3000 | Worship Leaders, Retreat, Ministry Equipping | 2023 | Worship leaders from across Canada gather at Muskoka Woods, ON, for a worship leaders retreat. Their goal is for each leader to build deeper ministry friendships, learn what it means to live into their calling as worship leaders and find meaningful rest. |
Israel/Palestine Study Tour | Evangelical Church of Canada | Canada | $2800 | Study Tour | 2023 | Study tour of the Holy Land. Much was learned and experienced as the group, from all across North America, travelled where Jesus did and learned from those doing ministry there now. |
Disciple-Making At Home | Holy Community Church | MB | $1100 | Discipleship, Parenting, Retreat | 2023 | This program is geared at helping parents explore the responsibilities, struggles, and joys of raising their children to follow Jesus. A one-day retreat was also implemented to have a day focused on learning and community. |
Alpha Overnight & Fall Retreat | Encounter Covenant Church | ON | $6260 | Retreat, Discipleship, Biblical Study | 2023 | Two retreats: an Alpha overnight retreat and an "Encountering God" Discipleship retreat. |
Greenhouse | Zoe Toronto Ministries | ON | $1750 | Young Adults, Discipleship, Evangelism, Outreach, Biblical Study | 2023 | Greenhouse is a summer program which gathers young adults residing in downtown Toronto to live in intimate biblical community together while serving their city doing outreach work. |
Vacation Bible School & Camp | Erickson Covenant Church | BC | $1340 | Children's Ministry, Disciple-Making | 2023 | Two weeks of Vacation Bible School, teaching children to grow deeper in their faith in Jesus. |
Prepare/Enrich - a Weekend Marriage Retreat | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $900 | Marriage Enrichment, Retreat | 2023 | A weekend marriage retreat which focused on how faith and prayer can strengthen the bonds within marriage. |
Block Grant | Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada | Canada | $20,000 | Multiple Discipleship Initiatives | 2022, 2023, 2024 | From 2022-2024 a $20,000 annual block grant to the ECCC is renewed, to be used for a wide range of disciple-deepening projects across the conference. |
Vantage Point 3 | Rosebud Church | AB | $1400 | Discipleship, Spiritual Mentoring, Small Group | 2022 | VantagePoint3’s year-long adult discipleship process called The Journey, which has enriched so many in Canadian Covenant churches and far beyond. |
Scott Erickson Retreat | Hope Community Covenant Church | AB | $1375 | Retreat, Young Adults, Spiritual Formation | 2022 | Scholarships to send young adults to the Scott Erickson Retreat, a spiritual formation weekend at The Harbour At Riondel. |
Let's Talk: Tomatoes! (Growing Friendships, Connection and Community) | Hope Community Covenant Church | AB | $1600 | Workshops, Spiritual Formation, Community Engagement | 2022 | To connect their church and neighbourhood in new ways with workshops about gardening, spiritual life, and sustainable, healthy community |
Alternative Small Groups | Holy Community Covenant Church | MB | $2690 | Discipleship, Small groups | 2022 | Small groups to foster space for discipleship conversation, storytelling, and deepening friendships |
Jesus Retreat | Faith Covenant Church and Winnipeg area churches | MB | $10,000 | Community Builder, Retreat | 2022 | Jesus Retreat - a new annual journey through one of the four gospels, to provide an opportunity for a diverse group of people from four churches to encounter Jesus together over the course of a weekend. |
Family Discipleship Retreat | City Collective Church | BC | $7500 | Retreat, Families, Spiritual Formation | 2022 | A retreat aimed to grow in spiritual formation practices within families (many of which have very young children), and to do this together as a church. |
Mutiply Pastoral Residency | Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada | Canada | $30,000 | Education, Pastoral, Church Planting | 2022 | ECCC’s partnership with Trellis to create a reproducible internship process with churches for identifying, preparing, and sending people to lead ministries, serve in staff roles, or start and lead new churches. |
Leadership Conference | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $3600 | Leadership, Conference, Equipping Disciple-Makers | 2022 | In an effort for their church body to be built up and disciple leaders, an in-person leadership conference was had using online resources. Leaders, pastors, and board members gathered to learn how to better build up future leaders of their community. |
Up/In/Out | Holy Community Covenant Church | MB | $4725 | Celebration, Community Engagement, Spiritual Formation | 2022 | Up, In, and Out - a time of vision, planning and communication as they moved into their second decade as a church. This included having resources available to their community to focus their relationship Up to God; a celebratory BBQ, along with coffee house and carnival, to foster relationships In their church; and lastly to reach Out by connecting to their community by way of a community garden. |
Celebrating 50 Years of Ministry, Preparing for 50 More | Green Timbers Covenant Church | BC | $3000 | Discipleship, Community, Mission, Celebration | 2022 | A weekend of celebrating the good work that the church has done for the past 50 years, and a time to explore how to continue to grow in the next 50 years. |
Discipleship Journal | City Collective Church | BC | $2500 | Discipleship, Sermon Engagement, Spiritual Formation | 2022 | A year-long discipleship journal created as a resource for their congregation aimed at sermon engagement, joint spiritual practice and Christian calendar reflections. This initiative included the development, printing, distribution and implementation of the journal. |
Headwaters Discipleship | The Harbour At Riondel | BC | $20,000 | Young Adults, Discipleship Education, Spiritual Formation, Leadership Development, Creativity, Community, Creation | 2021 | A two month intensive school for the heart for young adults aged 19-25, held annually in May-June, beginning in 2022. This immersive experience will lead women and men to dive into the headwaters of their lives and hearts, to meet Jesus there and discover the wholeness God has for them. Led by Wild Goose Collective & The Harbour at Riondel on Kootenay Lake. Applications & details are available at: headwatersdiscipleship.net |
Bilingual Sunday School Ministry | Emmanuel Covenant Church | BC | $5200 | Children's Ministry, Evangelism, Discipleship, Hospitality | 2021 | To assist new staff to create hospitable space for Mandarin-speaking families in their neighbourhood to find belonging in their church community and come to know Jesus. |
Family Discipleship Care Packages | Lake Ridge Community Church | AB | $2100 | Children's Ministry, Family Discipleship, Worship, Community Service, Mental Health, Care Packages | 2021 | To resource families to explore the story of Jesus in fresh ways, gather with others in ways that express hospitality during this pandemic, to equip families to worship God through creative prayer activities, and to experience generosity received and given. |
Women’s Retreat | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | Up to $2500 | Retreat, Women's Ministry, Discipleship, Equipping Disciple-Makers, Contemplative Prayer | 2021 | To re-kindle women's connections with Jesus and one another, re-set a trajectory for women ministering together for the sake of their neighbours, and respond to the changes brought on by the pandemic. |
Discipleship Driven Community | City Collective Church | BC | $10,000 | Discipleship, pastoral staff, Equipping Disciple-Makers | 2021 | To develop a discipleship pastor position, cultivating a consistent, intentional, structured approach to discipleship in their church during the current pandemic and beyond. |
Scott Erickson Retreat | The Harbour At Riondel | BC | $3500 | Retreat, Spiritual Formation, Contemplative Prayer, Creative Arts | 2021 | To encourage and strengthen disciples of Jesus on their journeys, slowing down to lean into prayer and to connect spiritual formation and creativity. |
Creative Ministry Internship | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $3600 | Internship, Worship Arts, Storytelling, Evangelism | 2021 | An internship for a young adult to coordinate worship services and leverage digital platforms for strategic communication of the gospel, encouraging spiritual formation through social media, and telling good stories in the midst of this challenging season. |
Coffee Shop Baristas Training | Riondel Community Church | BC | $4340 | Hospitality, Community Service, Spiritual Formation, Evangelism, Church Planting | 2021 | To equip two staff to care for spiritual needs while creating the community’s only public cafe space. This ministry will develop good relationships in the region in preparation for a church plant, under the umbrella of The Harbour At Riondel. |
Post-Pandemic Ministry Coaching | ECCC | Canada | Up to $10,000 | Equipping Disciple-Makers, Church Vitality, Leadership Development | 2021 | Ministry coaching for pastors, church staff teams and/or leadership boards, with up to five coaching sessions, with all costs covered by this Trellis grant. To assist churches in reflecting on the challenging pandemic season, looking back to seek God's healing, and moving forward into renewed spiritual formation. |
Community Care Packages | Lake Ridge Community Church | AB | $1000 | Mental Health, Care Packages | 2020 | To deliver three different curated mental health care packages to distinct groups in their city as a way of supporting people’s spiritual and mental well-being this winter. One care package will go to households in their church family, another to teens connected to their youth group, and a third to support leaders in the city who are themselves encouragers in the community. |
Internship | Covenant Heights Bible Camp | MB | $4500 | Internship, Camping, Equipping Disciple-Makers | 2020 | Summer internship for a young adult to grow in ministry skills and spiritual formation, to be equipped for leadership and disciple-making in the camp setting and in their home communities. |
Mental Health Internship | Covenant Bay Bible Camp | AB | $4200 | Internship, Mental Health | 2020 | Internship for an emerging leader, working with their new in-school program that cultivates mental health and emotional well being among students. |
Mental Health Support Group | Rosebud Church | AB | $1200 | Mental Health, Small Group | 2020 | A mental health support group, engaging a course from Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, to offer safe space for those suffering and to equip church members to better support their wider community. |
Multiplication residency | City Collective Church | BC | $6000 | Pastoral Internship, Equipping Disciple-Makers | 2020 | Development of a pastoral leader’s discipling gifts in preparation for ongoing future ministry which could include planting another local church. |
Bee-ing Neighbourly | College Park Covenant Church | SK | $1150 | Retreat, Neighbourhood, Community Service, Leadership Development | 2019 | Weekend workshops with Vine & Table community, an intentional Christian community house for young adults, using beekeeping as a practical tool & metaphor for transforming the way participants think about and interact with our neighbours as Jesus-followers. |
Bridging Into Youth Ministry Retreat | College Park Covenant Church | SK | $3340 | Retreat, Youth Ministry | 2019 | A weekend retreat to be equipped, to brainstorm and to identify next steps in developing intergenerational ministry with young people. |
Refugee Journey | Serve Globally-Middle East North Africa [SG-MENA], ECCC | Canada, Lebanon | Up to $12,000 | Discipleship Trip, Intercultural Development, Justice, Mercy | 2019 | Refugee Journey: Learning To Love the ‘Other’ At Home & Afar is a discipleship trip to Lebanon, to deepen our churches’ understanding of & response to refugees in our local contexts & abroad. Currently on pause due to COVID-19. |
Snow Days Youth Retreat | Faith Covenant Church, Winnipeg | MB | Up to $5000 | Youth Ministry, Retreat | 2019 | To develop Snow Days Youth Retreat (with other MB & SK Covenant churches), expanding capacity of the event for wider outreach among teens & increased discipleship impact. Currently on pause due to COVID-19. |
Youth Discipleship Trip | Holy Community Covenant Church | MB | Up to $5000 | Youth Ministry, Retreat, Intercultural Development | 2019 | To take a group of teens from Winnipeg Covenant churches to Toronto and Montreal for learning, service, spiritual formation & mission with Covenant ministries there. Currently on pause due to COVID-19. |
Pastoral Internship | Junction Covenant Church | BC | $2500 | Leadership Development, Internship | 2019 | 8-month position to mentor an emerging leader in pastoral ministry and equipping disciples in the local church. |
People Care, Soul Care weekend | Lake Ridge Community Church | AB | $1800 | Retreat, Spiritual Formation, Contemplative Prayer | 2019 | A retreat weekend to equip people to reflect on their own spiritual journeys, access ways of soul care, and use these insights to love and care well for their neighbours. |
Discipleship & Mission Trips to Alaska | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | Up to $9500 | Discipleship Trip, Mission Trip, Intercultural Development | 2019 | Two discipleship trips: one with their young adults partnering with Covenant Bible Camp near Unalakleet; one with their youth partnering with the Lantzs & Covenant Youth of Alaska in the Mat-Su Valley. |
Art of Parenting course | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $315 | Small group, Parenting | 2019 | A course to equip parents in the church & in their neighbourhood in how to parent their children well & help them grow up as disciples of Jesus. |
Rekindle Women’s Retreat | Norquay Covenant Church | SK | $2520 | Retreat | 2019 | A spiritual formation weekend to foster deeper relationships with Jesus and one another, empowering women to live out their God-given callings in their homes, church and community. |
Community-Building Events | Stonehouse Covenant Church | MB | Up to $8746 | Hospitality, Community Service | 2019 | A series of community-gathering events to grow friendships with unchurched people in their town and to equip their core leaders in Jesus’ kind of kingdom-hospitality. Paused due to COVID-19. |
Block Grant | Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada | Canada | $15,000 | Multiple Discipleship Initiatives | 2019, 2020, 2021 | From 2019-2021 a $15,000 annual block grant to the ECCC was renewed, to be used for a wide range of disciple-deepening projects across the conference, such as the Lenten Reader, Adventures In Leadership, Alive conference, Christ at the Checkpoint Israel/Palestine study tour, training for ministry coaches, development of spiritual directors, and scholarships for pastoral leadership formation. |
Creative Leaders Internships | City Collective Church | BC | $8500 | Pastoral Internship | 2019 | A mentorship for young creatives, developing their leadership capacity in making and maturing disciples and in worship arts ministry. The internships will involve hands-on responsibility in facilitating Sunday morning gatherings, creative team development, spiritual formation, spiritual disciplines, weekly creative challenges, and long-term project development. |
Building Bridges Movie Nights | Erickson Covenant Church | BC | $1000 | Hospitality, Community Service | 2019 | An initiative to build bridges with isolated and potentially at-risk families in the Creston valley: to host a series of family-friendly film nights to make space to grow trusting, agenda-free friendships with parents in their area from the FLDS and Bountiful communities. Several members of the Erickson home group that proposed the project interact with these communities professionally (as a nurse, a principal, and a child protection worker). Paused due to COVID-19 and other factors. |
Strengthening Marriages | Erickson Covenant Church | BC | Up to $3000 | Small Group, Marriage Enrichment, Evangelism | 2019 | A marriage-enrichment initiative utilizing Alpha’s Marriage Course. A two-month-long weekly series of ‘date-night’ evenings with supper and babysitting provided will be the context for couples to watch a video teaching series, discuss between the two spouses ideas raised by the video, along with couples’ homework each week. |
Teen Drop In Centre Volunteer Training | Faith Covenant Church, Breton | AB | $500 | Youth Ministry, Leadership Development | 2019 | To equip volunteers serving in their new Teen Drop In Centre by sending volunteers to the ECCC Youth Ministry Conference in October. This project complements their new initiative to create a safe space that teens in grades 7-12 can come to, find a place to belong, connect with other teens, and connect with caring Christian adults. Part of equipping their volunteers will include receiving training and building relationships with other youth workers in the ECCC at the Youth Ministry Conference. |
Summer Children’s Ministry | Holy Community Covenant Church | MB | $1700 | Children's Ministry | 2019 | To develop Holy Community’s Sunday connections for kids, expanding their VBS and fall follow-up, along with support for a Children’s Ministry Coordinator. This initiative will teach kids about Jesus and the Bible, increase the church’s hospitable presence in their neighbourhood, and welcome children as full participants in their community. |
Couples’ Retreat | Lake Ridge Community Church | AB | $1000 | Retreat, Marriage Enrichment | 2019 | To develop their annual retreat which helps couples listen to each other, discover the ever-present love of God in their stories, and experience how the church community can be a healthy part of their relationships. Lake Ridge has found this kind of retreat to be instrumental in introducing people to Jesus, growing a high trust culture of real relationships, and helping newcomers find belonging in their church community. |
Discipleship Pilgrimage | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $3500 | Youth Ministry, Discipleship Trip, Retreat | 2019 | A week-long journey for teens to grow with Jesus by learning from Covenant brothers and sisters in Eastern Canada about how they walk with God and engage in their unique callings and ministry contexts. They will send time with leaders of Avenue Church in Toronto, Abundant Life Covenant in Brampton, along with ministry friends in Ottawa and the Keeners in Montreal. Lighthouse aims for this innovative retreat to help their high school students go deeper in Christ and grow together as a ministry team, in part to prepare for a mission trip to Alaska next summer with CYAK. |
Summer Camp Scholarships | ECCC | QC | $3500 | Camping, Youth Ministry, Children's Ministry, Leadership Development | 2019 | Camp scholarships through Crosstalk Ministries 2019 Summer Bible Camps in Magog, Quebec. These Junior and Senior Youth Camps are co-directed by Di Keener, with pastoral leadership by Tim Keener (Covenant missionaries in Quebec). The scholarships will allow kids to go to camp whose families cannot otherwise afford it, as well as supporting bursaries to cover expenses for volunteer staff who are unable to make the standard donation for working at camp. |
Developing Missional Leaders – Haiti | Erickson Covenant Church | BC | $2500 | Mission Trip, Leadership Development, Intercultural Development | 2018 | Support for two of Erickson’s lay leaders to participate in the ECCC leadership training trip to northern Haiti in January, 2019, with an intention to catalyze global mission engagement in their local church. Emerging from a recognition of their community’s need to develop more global awareness and participation in God’s mission, Erickson’s church leadership’s goal is for this trip to renew a passion to serve globally and help others get more involved in future opportunities. |
VISTA Learning Cohort | ECCC | Canada | Up to $15,000 | Leadership Development, Church Vitality, Equipping Disciple-Makers | 2018 | A Learning Cohort in partnership with VantagePoint3. This innovative learning community offers pastors and church leaders an 18-month guided process to reflect on the discipleship culture of their church (or ministry organization) and develop long-term pathways for adults to grow as followers of Jesus together. Three thematic questions guide the learning modules: How do you think clearly about the spiritual development of adults? What do you need to design in order to help adults develop in your context? How will you implement what you’ve designed? Paused due to COVID-19. |
Crescendo Into Leadership | Gateway Covenant Church | SK | $1100 | Leadership Development, Mentoring, Seniors | 2018 | A nine month process utilizing Make & Deepen Disciples’ new Crescendo material and coaching to unleash the potential of boomers and beyond to engage in the work of God’s kingdom. Gateway’s plans include a specific focus on mentoring emerging young adult leaders, as well as inviting other Saskatchewan Covenant churches to take part. 'Aging is not optional. How we do it is… The holistic approach of Crescendo is rooted in biblical models, historical evidence, and current studies of aging. These inform us that purposeful living and giving of oneself in serving others directly correlates to spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational, and emotional well-being' (from https://covchurch.org/crescendo/). |
Pilgrimage Retreat | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $3760 | Retreat, Contemplative Practices | 2018 | A spiritual formation retreat, a space for men and women to explore contemplative practices of rest and restoration in the midst of active lives of service. Lighthouse will invite churches across Sarnia and Covenant communities in southern Ontario to join them. The retreat will be led by Phileena Heuertz, co-founder of Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism. |
Children’s Ministry Internship | Balfour Covenant Church | BC | $2000 | Children's Ministry, Pastoral Internship | 2018 | To create a part-time ministry internship position to assist with their growing children’s ministries, including a summer Kids Kamp and after-school program. This intern will receive intentional mentoring to nurture their giftedness, help them discern a possible call to ministry and grow their walk with Jesus. |
Camper Follow Up Podcast | Covenant Bay Bible Camp | AB | $2200 | Camping, Children's Ministry, Evangelism | 2018 | To develop their Embark Camper Follow Up initiative, an experimental project to disciple campers who have no connection to a local church through podcasts and emails. Their Teaching Coordinator will create materials to teach foundational Christian concepts, provide resources for their parents to use to encourage their kids to grow closer to Jesus, and offer connections to local Covenant churches. |
Closer, Deeper Small Group Intensives | Holy Community Covenant Church | MB | $1700 | Small groups | 2018 | A series of four short-term topical small groups focused on Marriage Strengthening, In-Depth Friendship, Self-Discovery, and Healing Past Hurts. These topics will be addressed through Christ-centred resources and scripture, with an intention to help newcomers to build deep relationships and be discipled. |
The Marriage Course: Date Night | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $1485 | Small group, Marriage Enrichment | 2018 | A seven-week course (offered by Alpha) is designed to help couples invest in their relationship, to grow in following Jesus together, and to have the space and support to work through relational difficulties, and build a stronger marriage. |
Women's Retreat | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $1500 | Retreat, Contemplative Practices | 2018 | A women’s spiritual formation retreat, with the grant amount dependent on number of registrants. The retreat will offer contemplative prayer practices under the teaching and guidance of two spiritual directors, at Mount Carmel Monastery overlooking Niagara Falls. The intent is to provide connection and kinship among their women as they enter new practices together and to walk alongside one another through the next year. |
AGAPE Project | Abundant Life Covenant Church | ON | $2750 | Community Service, Hospitality, Evangelism | 2017 | Training for their core leaders in disciple-making and a series of outreach events to engage their neighbours in Ward 7 Brampton. They seek to meet the great needs in their neighbourhood holistically, equipping the core members of their church plant to build significant relationships with their diverse neighbours. |
Paired Retreats for Men and Women | Avenue Community Church | ON | $3870 | Retreat | 2017 | A pair of men’s and women’s retreats focusing on identity as God’s beloved children, with grant amount dependent on number of participants. They are seeking to make space for slowing down in order to be more fully present to Jesus and to one another, paying attention to current needs of lay leaders to support long term fruitfulness in discipleship. |
Hymn & Chorus CD Recording Project | Faith Covenant Church, Winnipeg | MB | $1700 | Worship Arts | 2017 | Support for a CD recording project documenting new songs created in their community’s corporate worship life so that the richness of Sunday morning worship can be extended through out the week and shared with neighbours and the wider Canadian Covenant. They seek to strengthen the church’s shared worship vocabulary, recognizing how significant the spiritual pathway of worship and music is for many people, following the legacy of CBC with arts, music & worship. |
Covenant Orientation Process for Lay Leaders | Holy Community Covenant Church | MB | Up to $3600 | Leadership Development, Study, Equipping Disciple-Makers | 2017 | Support for Winnipeg-area Covenant churches for a new Covenant Orientation process to deepen lay leaders through engaging with the Covenant’s theology and its local history in southern Manitoba. They are cultivating self-reflection deeper than a merely informational level, with collaboration between three churches to connect contextual history, place, scripture and vocation in their leaders’ lives. Paused due to COVID-19 and other factors. |
Freedom Session | Nelson Covenant Church | BC | $1100 | Small group, Mental Health, Addiction Recovery | 2017 | A guided process walking with adults through recovery from addictions and compulsions into greater healing and wholeness in Christ. They are investing for long term impact, seeking to grow spiritual health and wholeness that will lead to further disciple-making and deepening, with the 12 steps intentionally grounded in Jesus and his gospel. |
The Timothy Project | Erickson Covenant Church | BC | $9,000 | Small group, Leadership Development, Equipping Disciple-Makers | 2017, 2018 | To create a year-long process called “The Timothy Project” to equip lay leaders for the work of making disciples, an intensive cohort program to make disciples who will be disciple-makers, and release them for leadership in their church and community. The grant was awarded over 2 years. |
Youth Ministry Conference | Covenant Bay Bible Camp & ECCC | Canada | $4000 | Youth Ministry, Retreat, Leadership Development | 2017 | To support Covenant Bay Bible Camp and the ECCC Youth Ministry Network as they launch an annual equipping conference for paid and volunteer youth workers in the Canadian Covenant. They seek to develop youth ministry leaders and equip them for longevity in discipling young people across Canada. This annual event continues to equip youth ministers each year. |
Branch Leadership Development Program | Covenant Heights Bible Camp | MB | Up to $2,800 | Camping, Children's Ministry, Evangelism, Youth Ministry, Leadership Development | 2017 | This revised program develops high school age leaders, equipping them to disciple kids in the camping season and to serve in their churches. The participants engage in study, being mentored within their local church setting, exploring identity in Christ, discipleship in community, and cultivating personal and spiritual gifts over a span of 5 months – before and after the camping season. |
Worship Internship | Emmanuel Covenant Church | BC | $4600 | Worship, Leadership Development, Internship | 2017 | A worship internship to develop their worship ministry leaders and better equip them as disciplers and musicians. This internship will invest in the spiritual formation of the intern as well as worship team members, with a shared purpose of helping the church to love their neighbourhood through a more vibrant corporate worship life. |
Intercultural Competence Development Conference | Green Timbers Covenant Church | BC | $2,654 | Intercultural Development, Discipleship, Reconciliation, Justice | 2017 | A weekend conference intended to develop their congregation’s intercultural competence and better equip them to love diverse neighbours in their context. Arising from an appreciative inquiry, Green Timbers is seeking to increase their people’s self-awareness and capacity to listen and love well in the midst of cultural differences. The Intercultural Development Inventory will help frame the weekend, and Dr. Paul De Neui from the Center for World Christian Studies at North Park University will lead them in developing a plan for on-going growth. |
Pastoral Internships | Faith Covenant Church, Winnipeg | MB | $4000, $6000, $8000 | Pastoral Internship, Leadership Development | 2017, 2016, 2015 | A multi-year grant disbursed over three years was given to Faith Covenant for continuing their pastoral internship program that provides hands on pastoral/vocational ministry experience for seminary students. These interns also get experience in a couple other rural Covenant churches as well as some summer camp investment. |
Equipping Seminar on Anxiety and Depression | Junction Covenant Church | BC | $1,100 | Mental Health, Healing, Workshop | 2017 | A weekend of equipping seminars to address issues of anxiety and depression from a Christian perspective as a way of deepening discipleship with Jesus. The church seeks to foster growth in the lives of individuals in their congregation and in the way their church offers a safe, healing space in the wider community for those with mental health challenges. |
Pastoral Internships Scholarships | ECCC | Canada | $3068 | Pastoral Internships, Leadership Development | 2017 | Funds for pastoral intern scholarships to have connectional opportunities with the ministerial community. These funds will be used to develop pastoral leaders by better connecting them to the wider Covenant through assisting with travel and/or registration costs to attend conference events. |
Block Grant | ECCC | Canada | $16,000 | Multiple Discipleship Initiatives | 2016, 2017, 2018 | An annual block grant was given to the ECCC to be used for a wide range of disciple-deepening projects across the conference, such as the Lenten Reader, Adventures In Leadership, Alive conference, spiritual directors' training, Christ at the Checkpoint Israel/Palestine study tour, and pastoral scholarships for professional development and education, including Covenant events, Alaska Christian College, North Park Seminary and NAIITS. |
Children & Youth Ministry Internship | Minnedosa Evangelical Covenant Church | MB | $3600 | Internship, Children, Youth Ministry, Leadership Development | 2016 | To create a part-time ministry internship position to assist with their growing children’s & youth ministries. This intern will receive intentional mentoring to nurture their giftedness, equip them for ministry and grow their walk with Jesus. |
Children’s Ministry Training Weekend | Balfour Covenant Church | BC | $2500 | Childrens Ministry, Leadership Development | 2016 | To support a weekend of training workshops to develop children’s ministry leaders and prepare them to disciple kids more effectively. This equipping event will be available to sister Covenant churches, Kootenay Covenant Bible Camp as well as other Christian churches in the area. |
Peacemaking In the Neighbourhood: Reconciliation | College Park Covenant Church | SK | $1900 | Intercultural Development, Discipleship, Reconciliation, Justice | 2016 | A guided “Blanket Exercise” event (learn more at kairosblanketexercise.org), encouraging understanding and reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians as a tangible expression of following Jesus, along with a reading library and book club on racial reconciliation in our Canadian context. This hands-on initiative addresses a topic that is very much on the public stage right now, but one that can be difficult for churches and is often avoided. A similar event will be held later in the year at Kensington Commons Church in Calgary. |
Right Now Media Discipleship Resources | Melfort Evangelical Covenant Church | SK | $1500 | Discipleship study resources | 2016 | To provide access to Right Now Media’s online resources for growing members’ understanding of the biblical story and their following of Jesus. These audio-visual resources will be utilized as teaching materials in small groups, children’s ministry and personal study. |
Financial Management & Stewardship Study Group | Erickson Covenant Church | BC | $1900 | Discipleship, Stewardship, Small Group | 2016 | To provide resources for a Connect Group focused on growing people’s stewardship and generosity with managing their household finances. Materials from Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace” course will be offered, with some adjustments for our Canadian context. |
Youth Mission Trip | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $6000 | Discipleship Trip, Mission Trip, Intercultural Development, Youth Ministry | 2016 | To assist the Lighthouse Community senior youth group’s mission trip to Fairbanks, Alaska in partnership with Community Covenant Church (or C3). The youth from both churches had connected at CHIC 2015 and wanted to build those relationships and serve the C3 neighbourhood together as witnesses to the transforming power of God’s love, particularly to kids at risk and teen runaways. In the summer of 2016 the Lighthouse youth traveled to Alaska to be with their brothers and sisters in Christ, facilitated by the Covenant’s Merge Ministries. They hosted a VBS in the mornings and spent afternoons in hands-on service projects, together with C3 and the local Salvation Army. A grant from Trellis Foundation offset the exchange rate and some leader costs, making this life-changing mission trip affordable for 12 students. |
Pastoral Intership | Norquay Covenant Church | SK | $4000 | Pastoral Internship, Leadership Development | 2015 | An internship opportunity for Bible school students sensing the call to ministry and even more specifically, rural ministry. Norquay intends to partner with small Bible schools scattered across Canada. |
The Gate | Gateway Covenant Church | SK | $5935 | Hospitality, Community Service, Justice, Mercy, Healing | 2015 | To support volunteer training and participant learning for a new outreach ministry called The Gate, a drop-in centre designed particularly for those with HIV and Hepatitis C. |
Nano-pods | Holy Community Covenant Church | MB | $1575 | Small groups, discipleship, retreat, contemplative practices | 2015 | To create a modular three-month program exploring spiritual surrender. Participants will meet both in larger and smaller groups and will conclude with a weekend retreat. |
Triennial Scholarships | ECCC | Canada | $3300 | Retreat, discipleship, leadership development | 2015 | A grant for the ECCC Women Ministries to help provide scholarships for women attending Triennial XV in Kansas City in July 2016. There will be specific opportunities provided to foster deeper connections for the Canadian women attending both during the conference and afterward. |
Discipleship Retreats | Lake Ridge Community Church | AB | $2000 | Retreat, Discipleship | 2015 | To support two discipleship retreats that will help in the spiritual formation and growth of new believers at Lake Ridge. The grant will help off-set the cost so more people can attend. |
Journal Project with interns | Kensington Commons Church & Hope Community Covenant Church | AB | $4150, $4250 | Discipleship study resources, small groups | 2014, 2015 | A discipleship journal project was supported over two years as a partnership between two churches. The discipleship journal was used at both churches for a year of teaching. It included descriptions of each preaching series, artwork, calendar for the church year, and space for journaling and taking notes on sermons. The second year included a team of design interns being mentored as they help with this project (Kensington) and a series of events which include ‘how to study the bible’ and connect with others in deeper community (Hope Community). |
Marriage Workshop with Marriage Mentoring follow-up | Erickson Covenant Church | BC | $2025 | Marriage enrichment, retreat, mentoring, | 2014 | A grant for a weekend marriage workshop. 25 couples were able to attend the May 2015 workshop facilitated by FamilyLife Canada. The church is proceeding with a marriage mentoring plan coming out of the workshop. |
Children’s Ministry Coordinator | Kensington Commons Church | AB | $1500 | Childrens ministry, leadership development | 2014 | Assistance with the initial cost of hiring a children’s ministry coordinator. With much bigger start up numbers than anticipated and a large influx of young families, Kensington Commons needed to find new staffing solutions sooner than expected. |
Ministry Director | Covenant Bay Bible Camp | AB | $10,000 | Camping, Children & Youth Ministry | 2014 | Funds to help hire a ministry director who would be on staff year round. This staff person will be able to focus on ministry programming and making and deepening disciples. |
Enhancement of Vacation Bible School Program | Lighthouse Community Church | ON | $1000 | Childrens Ministry, Hospitality, Community Service, Mercy | 2014 | To enhance its existing VBS, Summer Palooza, to take the weeklong event to another level by providing funds which will help feed neighbourhood children during the week of VBS. |
Pastoral Internship | Faith Covenant Church, Winnipeg | MB | $8000 | Pastoral Internship, Leadership Development | 2014 | Faith has a history of training up pastors and this grant allows them to do that with greater impact and over a longer timeframe. Two interns will be trained at Faith over the next year. The interns will also participate in ministering to other ECCC congregations. One has already begun pastoral work at an ECCC church while the local pastor is on leave. |
Women in Ministry Soul Escape Event | Minnedosa Evangelical Covenant Church | MB | $500 | Discipleship retreat, evangelism | 2014 | The funds will be used to help cover the cost of a one day Soul Escape Event. This event will be held in Minnedosa so local women can attend without having to leave town. The purpose of the event is to encourage women to live their lives for God. |
Community Outreach | Sanctuary Covenant Church | AB | $5000 | Hospitality, Community Service, Leadership Development, Evangelism, Mercy | 2014 | To assist their summer outreach programs. These programs include a variety of community outreach events and classes. A full time community outreach worker facilitates the program. Trellis is assisting in covering wages as well as supplies for events and classes. |
Youth Internship | Faith Covenant Church, Breton | AB | $7000 | Internship, Youth Ministry, Leadership Development | 2014 | Funds to hire a youth intern who worked with the youth at Faith Covenant in discipleship but also received mentoring and training herself. |
The Branch | Covenant Heights Bible Camp | MB | $7200 | Camping, Children's Ministry, Evangelism, Youth Ministry, Leadership Development | 2014 | A high school leadership development program with a goal to build relationships with the youth as they transition into cabin leaders and young leaders in their communities and to create a space for them to ask questions, share life, and grow together. |