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NEW COVENANT GRANTS The new program was designed to encourage new, emerging or revitalized ministries within the bounds of the synod. Projects were required to fit within one of the three synod mission priorities: congregational transformation and development; multicultural, racial ethnic and justice ministries or ministries in higher education. The ten 2007 New Covenant grants are:
First Presbyterian Church of Holt, Lake Michigan Presbytery The Christian Burmese refugees are meeting at the Mt. Hope Presbyterian Church in Lansing. Pastor Andy Meyers and his congregation have welcomed them with open arms and are helping them with transportation and in many other ways. The English and living skills training is held at the First Presybterian Church in Holt.
Beginning to Work it Out Glenville New Life Community Church, Presbytery of the Western Reserve Glenville is one of Cleveland’s eastside neighborhoods. The population is about 97% African American with a very high percentage of high school dropouts and unemployed youth. Many youths come from very troubled homes and have not learned the basics of presenting themselves for employment. The goals of this program include helping youths prepare themselves with job readiness skills, providing them with some basic computer training, introducing them to Christ and involving them in the life of the church.
A Season of Nonviolence: Practicing the Vocation of Peace-Building on Four Campuses through Interfaith Dialogue The Campus Ministry Network of the Miami Presbytery will sponsor a four-campus program on nonviolence and peace-building through interfaith dialogue. The focus will be on training and equipping Christian students to engage in interfaith dialogue. The goal will be to provide skills and opportunities for Christian students that will ground them in their own faith tradition and equip them for interaction with people of other faith traditions. Participants in the project will include students and leaders from other religious traditions in order to provide interfaith dialogue training and experience.
Copper Country Christian Fellowship/Certified Lay Leader Copper Country Christian Fellowship (CCCF), Mackinac Presbytery CCCF is currently in need of a part-time lay pastor whose responsibilities will be preaching, pastoral care, teaching, outreach to potential new members, developing worship services, helping to start a Sunday School, and moderating the Steering Committee. The synod grant will fund the two-year training program for a Commissioned Lay Pastor.
International Graduate Student Ministry Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Lake Michigan Presbytery The mission of the International Graduate Student Ministry is to form an alliance between church members and international graduate students at Michigan State University for the purpose of Christian fellowship, spiritual nurture and mission/service. This ministry seeks to empower participants to grow in a multicultural and faith-based environment with the understanding that we live in a global village and “we are the world.” To that end, members of Eastminster Presbyterian Church are committed to open and honest communication and to partnering with students to develop a meaningful ministry that will significantly impact the growth of participants’ faith and commitment to Christ’s Church as well as hone their skills as Christian leaders in the church and community.
Lazarus Project Ministry/Inner Healing through Small Groups Michigan Black Presbyterian Charitable Organization, Detroit Presbytery Over the past two decades, states imprisoned record numbers of convicted felons. Many states have reduced funding for their transition as these offenders complete their prison terms and return to their communities. The Lazarus Project will serve these former prisoners by helping them deal with emotional and social supportive issues through the Inner Healing program. The purpose of Inner Healing through Small Groups is to introduce the ministry of inner healing where the participants of these sessions can take off their mask, be free to deal with their pain and broken heartedness and receive healing from the wounded healer, Jesus Christ. Throughout the process, participants will be given the resource tools to assess and identify the issues and struggles within their lives.
Summer Drop-In Northern Lake Community Church, Mackinac Presbytery The purpose of the summer program planned by the Northern Lake Community Church is to provide safe, convenient summer child supervision with a spiritual formation component for a target demographic of “Tweens”, ages 11–15. The church will provide programming during school summer vacations for children who are out-growing day care environments, but who have not yet matured sufficiently to stay home alone. A college-age intern will supervise free time, recreation and daily spiritually-based programming.
St. John’s Church Day Care Center St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Detroit Presbytery The pre-school daycare center, established in 1936, now operates under new licensing rules for childcare centers effective, December 7, 2006. These rules set minimum standards that call for reconstruction of the church daycare center play area that includes landscaping and equipment. The church submitted a proposed plan to the Michigan Department of Human Services, which was approved. The church is in the process of completing the first phase of work to be done by December 6, 2007. The New Covenant Grant will be used to help complete reconstruction of the playground area of the St. John’s Presbyterian Church Day Care Center.
SLINKY St. Luke United Presbyterian Church, Miami Presbytery In the spring of 2003, St. Luke’s began a tutor/mentor relationship with the Middletown City Schools under a grant funded program entitled “Malachi,” a tutoring program for at-risk students. The program lasted two years with limited success. In the fall of 2005, the school district’s funding and staff support of the program ceased due to funding cuts. But St. Luke continued its relationship with the students and renamed the program “SLINKY.” The church has increased its support by hiring a children’s coordinator and expanding the program to two days a week with 90 minutes of instructional time. Due to additional funding cuts by the school district, the school day has been cut to five hours and all after school support programs have been eliminated. Also, the labor hours for the coordinator have expanded from 16 to 20 hours. The grant money will be used to help defray the costs of the coordinator’s salary, additional educational software and some long-term capital expenditures.
Kirkmont Center, Miami Presbytery Kirkmont Center is in the beginning stage of developing a World Community Center. This experiential site will feature housing typical of people living in the U.S.A. and those in poverty throughout the world. One goal of this project is to provide a hands-on experience for individuals and groups to encounter issues of world hunger, the just distribution of foods and services and the burdens of inadequate housing.
The awards were announced in late October 2007.
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English and Living Skills for Burmese Refugees 
This grant will serve Burmese refugees in the Lansing, Michigan area. The mission offers intensive full-time English training for several Burmese refugees, who will in turn teach others of the 100 Burmese refugees in Lansing. In addition to English, they are learning a full range of “living in America” skills. 
Office of Campus Ministry, Sinclair Community College, Miami Presbytery
Multicultural Summer Camping Experiences 
The World Community Center will also provide an opportunity for participants to learn about different cultures and explore situational based ethics. Campers experiencing the Center will explore the issues of global poverty and hunger while, at the same time, examining their own habits, consumption pattern and beliefs as they consider their role in becoming more responsible global citizens. Funds will be used for camper scholarships and materials for two construction projects.