Cooperative Baptist Fellowship – Virginia
Congregational Mission Grants
Mission is the result of God’s initiative, rooted in God’s purposes to restore and heal creation. “Mission” means “sending,” and sending is the central biblical theme describing God’s action in human history. Consequently, a missional church is shaped by participating in God’s mission: to set things right in a broken world; to redeem it; and to restore it to what God always intended.
CBFVA believes individuals and congregations are called to be God’s presence in the world. We are passionate about encouraging and supporting intentional efforts of congregations to become more mission-shaped, so we provide funds for mission grants to assist CBFVA-affiliated congregations in their efforts to participate in God’s mission in the world. These grants provide seed money to support purposeful mission engagement in the world.
What types of mission projects qualify for a CBFVA mission grant? We believe every congregation must prayerfully discern direction, so our approach to awarding grants is not prescriptive. However, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has prioritized eight mission initiatives focused on ministry to “the least of these.” We hope you will consider how your project may fit within these initiatives because they are illustrative of the meaningful projects that will be funded through CBFVA mission grants. Although we encourage you to develop a mission project focused in one of these areas, proposal falling outside these eight ministry areas will also be considered for mission grants.
- Poverty and Transformation Ministries — working with or initiating work to alleviate poverty in your community
- Disaster Response Ministries — responding to assist and minister to people who have been affected by natural disasters
- Internationals Ministries — ministering to refugees, immigrants, or students from other countries
- Church Starts & Faith Sharing Ministries — assist in initiating a new church, house church, or faith community
- Justice and Peacemaking Ministries — serve as advocates for religious freedom and social justice by ministering to those who are persecuted for their faith and/or work to address human trafficking, genocide, women’s rights, child labor and reconciliation
- Healthcare Ministries — seek to be the presence of Christ by offering spiritual and physical healing
- Economic Development Ministries — helping transform communities through economic development, environmental sustainability and micro-enterprise projects
- Education Ministries — work to initiate a project providing educational opportunities or assistance to students
Your congregation can apply for a mission grant up to $1,000. CBFVA also encourages congregations to partner with other congregations or ministries to address human needs around the globe.