CID-CEF 2020 Grants Approved
During 2020, God blessed the Central Illinois District Church Extension Fund (CID-CEF) to enable us to approve just shy of $100,000 in grant requests with exciting possibilities for expanding the LCMS ministry both within and reaching beyond the Central Illinois District. The pandemic opened new opportunities for creative approaches to spreading the gospel!
The following is a summary of the grants we approved during the year.
We pray God’s Blessings on these ministry projects – may they enhance the spiritual life of our congregations and cultivate new believers for His harvest!
$1,000 to Washington Our Savior – “Store to Door”
Shopping for those in the community who are unable to do so, while building relationships and sharing the Good News.
$8,000 to Monticello Faith – “Vision for Honduras, Haiti, and Kenya”
Purchasing two autorefractors for prescribing eyeglasses to be used on evangelism and vision trips supplying 2,000 pairs of eyeglasses annually.
$900 to Springfield Trinity – “Small Group Ministry”
Building small group relationships within the church and expanding to reach unchurched families and friends.
$8,800 to Springfield Lutheran High School – “Live Streaming”
Live streaming activities such as chapel and athletic and musical events from the school while COVID restrictions prohibit attendance and posting on YouTube for greater outreach.
$22,500 to schools throughout the CID – “Funding CID Schools Now and Forever”
Partnering with an anonymous donor and the Lutheran Legacy Foundation in year 2 of a 3-year program providing matching funds and grant funds to schools raising an initial $5,000 endowment.
$4,000 to Champaign University Lutheran – “Outdoor Tent for COVID Ministry”
Creating an outdoor space for student ministry and activities while providing great visibility to members of the community.
$10,000 to CID – “Parking Lot”
Third installment on refurbishment of the CID parking lot.
$20,000 to CID – “Ramsey Plus Grant for CID Congregations”
Providing our CID congregations affordable access to financial tools including Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.
$4,000 to CID – “Reaching Out to Our Community Students and Families”
Producing a video for our schools as a recruitment tool highlighting their unique offerings during COVID and for the future, and hosting a training workshop on public relations and advertising/promotion.
$4,050 to CID – “Peer Support Stipend”
Supporting the volunteer efforts of early childhood consultants, the prison ministry coordinator, and organists conducting clinics for other organists.
$2,500 to CID – “Prison Ministry Video”
Creating a video to raise awareness of and recruit workers for the CID prison ministry.
$2,700 to CID – “Circuit Events for Church Worker Recruitment”
Producing two videos during the Shelbyville/Effingham/Altamont joint Circuit Convocation focusing on church worker recruitment to be shared with other circuits in the CID.
$7,500 to CID – “Seminarians in Need”
Providing needs-based support for seminary students.