Council for World Mission (CWM) is inviting member churches and partner organisations to apply for support through the Covid-19 Mission Initiatives Fund. These are days of clear missional challenge, as the first wave of Covid-19 has already upended and threatened all dimensions of economies, governments, corporations, communities and families.

Simultaneously, it has exposed the interconnectedness of all people, the foolishness of supremacist ideologies and prejudice hindering our relationships, and the systemic injustices underlying and heightening this Covid-19 crisis. Vulnerable communities including migrants, people of colour, people with disabilities bear the brunt of the pandemic. They are disproportionately affected by the virus, by government policies formulated to tackle the crisis, and are targeted for populist violence.

Church communities are not spared the challenges posed by the pandemic, be it discovering how to do and be the Church without physical gatherings for corporate worship, worsened by the loss of income from the weekly offertory.

All these communities are central to CWM’s vision of mission and the commitment we have to invite life flourishing communities. Thus, CWM is looking to assist and resource mission initiatives with grants up to SG$25,000* per member church or partner organisation. We are keen to support projects working with those most affected by Covid-19 in your context or with developing innovative responses to the issues facing churches.

Project criteria:

Applications can be made for work that particularly focuses on enabling mission initiatives responding to areas such as:

• The impact on vulnerable groups like minority ethnic communities, migrant workers, informal workers, people now unemployed etc
• The need for advocacy for these vulnerable groups
• The heightened incidences of domestic violence under the Covid-19 lockdowns
• The need to support day labourers, non-union, informal and seasonal workers
• The need to support health, social and home care workers
• The challenge of being the church when buildings are closed and corporate worship and face to face work is not possible
• And to areas distinct to the particular impact of Covid-19 in the context of the member church or partner.

Application process:

Download the application form below. Your completed form should include these elements:

• A description of the issues Covid-19 has stirred in your context, and especially the impact this is having in your communities and churches.
• A project outline, setting out the work you seek to do and how it will address the Covid-19 situation in your context
• A summary of key project outcomes/deliverables
• A budget showing the projected costs and any funding you will be adding to the project.
• On conclusion of the project CWM requires a narrative and financial report from the church/partner with an end date of no later than 31 December 2021.

For full details and to apply, please click here:https://www.cwmission.org/resources/members-library/application-forms/

Applications will be considered on their merits and applicants should not assume that they will automatically receive funding.

Completed applications should be submitted to CWM Mission Secretaries for the respective regions via email. Applications from ecumenical or partner agencies are to be directed to the CWM Office of the General Secretary (OGS) through Peiling Koo.

There will be two rounds for applications, with application deadlines of 31 October 2020 and 31 Jan 2021. If applicants are not successful in the first round, they may still apply in the second round. One application only is possible per applicant.

*We are not able to support the core costs of churches (such as staff costs) and partners through this fund.

Source►CWM