Sympara

The Trust for Civic Life is now accepting nominations for the first Civic Entrepreneur #grant cycle! Our?priority deadline for nominations is Wednesday, September 25. These are 1-year programmatic grants, up to $25,000 each, with $2M in total funding available for this round. What's a Civic Entrepreneur? This is an individual or small group experimenting with new programs that draw people together and spark civic participation. We are looking for nominees in our priority regions (the Black Belt, Central Appalachia, Tribal Lands and U.S. Southwest Border), and we have a special interest in work that touches on the themes of faith, digital and public spaces. If you know of someone in your community that you think is a great fit, you can find our nomination form here: https://lnkd.in/gHdDYjVN. The form goes into more detail about the specific grant eligibility and includes a link to FAQs about this cycle's application process.

“It can be difficult for congregations to shift their thinking from survival to mission, but that’s an essential reframe that must take place if you’re going to get unstuck and find a more excellent way.” — The Rev. Dr. Prince Rivers, Senior Pastor, Union Baptist Church, Durham, NC

We're excited to team up with Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute to highlight some innovative initiatives engaging faith communities to help fight social isolation and loneliness. This is a problem we can solve! Join us on Sept 18 with Sepi Djavaheri, MPA and Sherry Molock.

Hey, Triangle and Triad faith leaders. Your neighbors need your property. It’s the single greatest resource for solving the affordable housing crisis. So don’t keep it to yourself. Instead, discover how to steward your property for others. Sympara is recruiting two cohorts that will equip congregations to build. Starting in October 2024, the nine-month peer learning experience will help congregations discern their calling to housing, engage neighbors and other community stakeholders in visioning, and prepare for the multiyear journey with developers, funders, and programmatic partners. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gSwiF-8Q

“When hybrid worship has clearly become a new facet of American Christianity, and our ministry meetings are just as likely to happen online as they are in person, what do we do with our beloved facilities?” — The Rev. Dr. Prince Rivers, Editor, Alban at Duke Divinity School; Senior Pastor, Union Baptist Church, Durham, NC; Sympara partner https://lnkd.in/gg3EK6r3

Attention Triangle and Triad leaders: The single greatest resource for solving your affordable housing crisis is already present. Where? The thousands of acres owned by faith communities. Sympara is recruiting for two cohorts that will equip congregations to build affordable housing on their properties. Starting in September 2024, the nine-month peer learning experience will help congregations discern their calling to housing, engage neighbors and other community stakeholders in visioning, and prepare for the multiyear journey with developers, funders, and programmatic partners. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gSwiF-8Q

“With open minds, faithful hearts, innovative spirits and the right support and partnerships, Charlotte’s congregations can create community, build belonging and find their own transformation and renewal along the way. Let’s get to work.” — The Rev. John Cleghorn, pastor, Caldwell Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC

"Among the political, social, religious and environmental crises we face, society’s greatest challenge may be a crisis of imagination. How often personal and political disagreements harden into two positions — it’s either this or that — because we do not contemplate the possibility of a third way. Collectively, we seem to lack the ability to bridge mental categories, perceive more reality than is immediately presented, or use experience as a springboard to fresh insight. Without these habits of imagination, we’re stuck — with dire consequences." — Daniel Pryfogle?

"If you are among the growing number of people wondering about the reuse of religious properties, you might have a special task in the days ahead: To knock on the door of the religious institution. To say to those who answer, 'Your neighbors need this place.'"?

“The Garden of Hope is a stewardly use of our property and acts as a clear and tangible way in which the church is serving the world.” — Joanna Wassenaar, garden volunteer, Covenant Christian Reformed Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba