NextStep Priority Advance Grant

NextStep Priority Advance Grant

The South Carolina Baptist Convention’s Church Leadership and Administration Office is pleased to offer financial assistance to churches of NextStep participants who engage in catalytic and strategic initiatives. Matching Grants, up to $1,000, are available to churches led by a NextStep participant who engages in a priority advance project.

Criteria for Grant consideration include the following.

1. Projects must align with one or more of the following priority advancement categories.

Strong Projects develop a disciple-making culture inside the walls of the church to better fulfill the Great Commission outside the walls of the church through leadership development, ministry creation, or expansion.

Serve Projects help churches develop relationships and love their neighbors by actively serving their needs by adding value to the local community.

Share Projects use relationships to share the hope of the gospel to lead neighbors to Christ and disciple them in a life-on-life fashion to become fully devoted Christ-followers.

Send Projects focus on enlisting, equipping, and sending Christ-followers into the harvest to engage the unreached in the community, the state, and around the world.

Start Projects engage in activity to establish/re-establish new work among unreached people and places that lead to new or revitalized congregations.

2. A NextStep participant must provide leadership to the project or initiative.

3. Only one grant will be awarded to a church per calendar year. Grants will not be awarded
for the same project in a subsequent year to avoid an unhealthy dependence on sources
outside the church. A church may apply for subsequent grants for new projects each year.

4. Grants will be awarded as funds are available and will be made payable to the church.

5. Only complete applications will be considered. Approved applications will be awarded upon receipt of an after-action-report.

Strong applications will include projects that:

• • identify, enlist, equip, or empower leaders to serve the church more effectively in fulfilling its mission and vision;
  • fulfills the function of the church (evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry/missions, worship, and prayer); or,
  • leads to numerical growth, spiritual growth, ministry expansion, or Kingdom advancement.

 

Projects that can be measured with a specified timeframe for completion, as opposed to ongoing initiatives, will receive a higher priority for funding. Capital requests, such as vehicles, property, materials, etc. will only be considered for funding if they directly support ministry-specific criteria.