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at Indiana Wesleyan University
Projects and Grantees
At its best, the church has always been innovative.
These congregations have worked hard to identify, nurture, and disseminate fresh ways of engaging in ministry alongside young people. To learn more and be inspired, click the images below.
Across the Board
Imaginarium: Young Adults
College Wesleyan Church
Marion, Indiana
Our church used the grant to host a special young adults event featuring themed charcuterie boards created by people in our congregation. We believe that some of God’s best work happens at the table,
so we invited young adults to set the table with us and gather around food, games, and conversation. We were amazed by the ways people experienced connection and mutual understanding that evening!
College Wesleyan Church
Marion, Indiana
Our church used the grant to host a special young adults event featuring themed charcuterie boards created by people in our congregation. We believe that some of God’s best work happens at the table,
so we invited young adults to set the table with us and gather around food, games, and conversation. We were amazed by the ways people experienced connection and mutual understanding that evening!
Advent Grief Box
Imaginarium: Teens
Three Rivers Wesleyan Church
Fort Wayne, Indiana
The Advent Season is often a difficult time for someone who has lost a loved one, and this is especially true for teens and young adults. We created the Advent Grief Box to help people who are grieving feel less isolated during the holidays and still participate in the Advent Season. There are two versions for the box: one for general loss and one specifically for the loss of a parent. Each box contains five devotionals (one for each theme of Advent and one for Christmas Day), five separate activities to help someone process their grief, and an Advent candle. Each devotional and activity is meant to invite God into someone's grief, instead of using God to explain away suffering. It has been a joy to see people who are grieving participate in the Advent Season without needing to abandon their grief and "fake it until they make it." Instead, they now know that God meets them within their suffering.
Three Rivers Wesleyan Church
Fort Wayne, Indiana
The Advent Season is often a difficult time for someone who has lost a loved one, and this is especially true for teens and young adults. We created the Advent Grief Box to help people who are grieving feel less isolated during the holidays and still participate in the Advent Season. There are two versions for the box: one for general loss and one specifically for the loss of a parent. Each box contains five devotionals (one for each theme of Advent and one for Christmas Day), five separate activities to help someone process their grief, and an Advent candle. Each devotional and activity is meant to invite God into someone's grief, instead of using God to explain away suffering. It has been a joy to see people who are grieving participate in the Advent Season without needing to abandon their grief and "fake it until they make it." Instead, they now know that God meets them within their suffering.
Bread Dealers
Imaginarium: Young Adults
God's House
Marion, Indiana
In our congregation, and throughout our community, many are battling addictions. So, the young adults in our congregation chose to utilize the grant funding to launch a homemade artisan bread ministry that employs recovering addicts. We will teach individuals how to make bread and pay them well. We also plan on spreading awareness about addiction recovery by selling the fresh bread back into the community and to surrounding churches. When one bread loaf is purchased, an additional loaf will be given to someone in need for free. Great things are ahead!
God's House
Marion, Indiana
In our congregation, and throughout our community, many are battling addictions. So, the young adults in our congregation chose to utilize the grant funding to launch a homemade artisan bread ministry that employs recovering addicts. We will teach individuals how to make bread and pay them well. We also plan on spreading awareness about addiction recovery by selling the fresh bread back into the community and to surrounding churches. When one bread loaf is purchased, an additional loaf will be given to someone in need for free. Great things are ahead!
Teen Responders
Imaginarium: Teens
St. Luke's United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, IN
We created Teen Responders, a free mental health workshop for teens and adults to gain the knowledge, skills, and resources to care themselves and respond to the needs of their peers. We focus on three main topics: boundaries, healthy coping strategies, and recognizing and responding to crisis. These workshops are led by mental health professionals and have licensed therapists present ready to talk to anyone who may be in need. Each teen who attends a workshop leaves with a Response Kit--a box full of items and resources that will help them care for themselves and others. In addition to the workshop, we create a landing page of resources where we point teens and adults so they know where to go after the workshop. This includes school based mental health options, local counseling/therapy centers, in-patient crisis centers, national hotlines, and so much more.
St. Luke's United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, IN
We created Teen Responders, a free mental health workshop for teens and adults to gain the knowledge, skills, and resources to care themselves and respond to the needs of their peers. We focus on three main topics: boundaries, healthy coping strategies, and recognizing and responding to crisis. These workshops are led by mental health professionals and have licensed therapists present ready to talk to anyone who may be in need. Each teen who attends a workshop leaves with a Response Kit--a box full of items and resources that will help them care for themselves and others. In addition to the workshop, we create a landing page of resources where we point teens and adults so they know where to go after the workshop. This includes school based mental health options, local counseling/therapy centers, in-patient crisis centers, national hotlines, and so much more.
The 6% Project
Imaginarium: Young Adults
Resurrection Life NYC
New York City, NY
According to surveys done by the Barna Research Group, only 6% of people 18+ will become Christians as adults. We want to know what happens to men and women who step into a church for the first time in their 20s. We conducted live video interviews to collect data and insight into real-life experiences from young adults who are new to their faith. These conversations ranged from casual introductions to testimonies that brought tears to our eyes. We found that the common thread across our research was that community matters. Our plan is to produce a video mini-series and discussion guide for churches looking to provide resources and community for new adult believers. We also hope to scale our research initiative to collect additional data, insights and learnings.
Resurrection Life NYC
New York City, NY
According to surveys done by the Barna Research Group, only 6% of people 18+ will become Christians as adults. We want to know what happens to men and women who step into a church for the first time in their 20s. We conducted live video interviews to collect data and insight into real-life experiences from young adults who are new to their faith. These conversations ranged from casual introductions to testimonies that brought tears to our eyes. We found that the common thread across our research was that community matters. Our plan is to produce a video mini-series and discussion guide for churches looking to provide resources and community for new adult believers. We also hope to scale our research initiative to collect additional data, insights and learnings.
Let's Get Cooking
Imaginarium: Young Adults
New Journey Community Church
Wabash, Indiana
This was our church's first-ever young adult gathering. We booked a local studio and hosted a cooking class and competition. We broke the group into three teams, brought in an experienced cook to teach us how to make delicious appetizers, and ended the night with a taste test to see who made the best creations. The best part is really what's happened after the event took place. There was one common theme that kept coming up in conversations that night: the desire to keep meeting. We launched our first young adult small group shortly after.
New Journey Community Church
Wabash, Indiana
This was our church's first-ever young adult gathering. We booked a local studio and hosted a cooking class and competition. We broke the group into three teams, brought in an experienced cook to teach us how to make delicious appetizers, and ended the night with a taste test to see who made the best creations. The best part is really what's happened after the event took place. There was one common theme that kept coming up in conversations that night: the desire to keep meeting. We launched our first young adult small group shortly after.
Created For Connection
Imaginarium: Young Adults
Kingdom Life Church
Gas City, Indiana
We launched our "Created for Connection" sessions centered around engaging with the Lord and each other through creative practices. One of our favorite sessions was Vision Boarding, led by a retired missionary couple in our church. This session aimed to create a "vision" from the Lord for each person by creating a collage with the Spirit's influence. Inviting the Holy Spirit to prompt us, we picked out words and pictures from magazines for ourselves and one another to put on our boards. Then, together with Jesus, we made our vision boards! At the end of the session, we shared our boards, together interpreting what the Lord was speaking to us through the work of art. There was so much joy in the room as we created collages and called out the beauty we saw in each other's boards.
Kingdom Life Church
Gas City, Indiana
We launched our "Created for Connection" sessions centered around engaging with the Lord and each other through creative practices. One of our favorite sessions was Vision Boarding, led by a retired missionary couple in our church. This session aimed to create a "vision" from the Lord for each person by creating a collage with the Spirit's influence. Inviting the Holy Spirit to prompt us, we picked out words and pictures from magazines for ourselves and one another to put on our boards. Then, together with Jesus, we made our vision boards! At the end of the session, we shared our boards, together interpreting what the Lord was speaking to us through the work of art. There was so much joy in the room as we created collages and called out the beauty we saw in each other's boards.
Meal Prep Workshop
Imaginarium: Young Adults
Fusion Church
Mitchell, South Dakota
We liked the idea of a young adult meal prep workshop because it fits into our bigger vision of creating a post-college bridge program that helps recent graduates find their way in life and in community post-graduation. We know that life and community after college often looks much different and we’d like to help find ways to create community. This gives recent graduates the practical help they need when it comes to financial literacy, finding places to worship, or even learning how to get in a rhythm of cooking! A meal prep workshop fills a practical need and gives a low-pressure invite into a space to get to know others and be introduced to a faith community.
Fusion Church
Mitchell, South Dakota
We liked the idea of a young adult meal prep workshop because it fits into our bigger vision of creating a post-college bridge program that helps recent graduates find their way in life and in community post-graduation. We know that life and community after college often looks much different and we’d like to help find ways to create community. This gives recent graduates the practical help they need when it comes to financial literacy, finding places to worship, or even learning how to get in a rhythm of cooking! A meal prep workshop fills a practical need and gives a low-pressure invite into a space to get to know others and be introduced to a faith community.
Stressed Out
Imaginarium: Young Adults
Daybreak Church
Hudsonville, Michigan
We interviewed a lot of young adults in our community. One of the themes in their responses was they don't know what to do about mental health. They don't know where to go to get reliable resources or how to talk about it. So a team from our church decided to host an event we called "Stressed Out." The event was meant to provide hope and help when it comes to navigating our mental health. During the night we interviewed two counselors from our community about mental health. By exploring the questions "how did we get here", "why do we stay here" and "how do we get out of here" we began a preliminary conversation on understanding and addressing our mental health (and the mental health of those around us).
Daybreak Church
Hudsonville, Michigan
We interviewed a lot of young adults in our community. One of the themes in their responses was they don't know what to do about mental health. They don't know where to go to get reliable resources or how to talk about it. So a team from our church decided to host an event we called "Stressed Out." The event was meant to provide hope and help when it comes to navigating our mental health. During the night we interviewed two counselors from our community about mental health. By exploring the questions "how did we get here", "why do we stay here" and "how do we get out of here" we began a preliminary conversation on understanding and addressing our mental health (and the mental health of those around us).
Breaking Bread
Imaginarium: Young Adults
ONE Church
Westfield, Indiana
We knew that if we wanted to really reach people who don’t know Jesus, we needed to try a different approach than just inviting them to join us at church every now and then. What is church anyway? We are. We are the church! We started inviting people over for dinners maybe once a month for the last few months. We’ll prepare a meal, pray, and eat together at the table. It seems so simple, but over these dinners, we’ve been able to watch as God has opened doors for amazing conversations to be had. While Jesus walked on this earth, He didn’t do the majority of His ministry in churches, He did the majority of His ministry at tables, breaking bread with tax collectors and sinners. He met them where they were at. He sat with them. He listened to them. We aren’t doing anything spectacular or world changing, but if one person comes to know Jesus through this process, then it’s all worth it.
ONE Church
Westfield, Indiana
We knew that if we wanted to really reach people who don’t know Jesus, we needed to try a different approach than just inviting them to join us at church every now and then. What is church anyway? We are. We are the church! We started inviting people over for dinners maybe once a month for the last few months. We’ll prepare a meal, pray, and eat together at the table. It seems so simple, but over these dinners, we’ve been able to watch as God has opened doors for amazing conversations to be had. While Jesus walked on this earth, He didn’t do the majority of His ministry in churches, He did the majority of His ministry at tables, breaking bread with tax collectors and sinners. He met them where they were at. He sat with them. He listened to them. We aren’t doing anything spectacular or world changing, but if one person comes to know Jesus through this process, then it’s all worth it.
Follow Deeper
Imaginarium: Young Adults
Follow Church
Central, South Carolina
Our church hosted “Follow Deeper: Diving Deep into the Practices of Knowing Him and Making Him Known.” Here, we gather in community with college students, young adults, and others to go deep in worship, prayer, practices of spiritual formation, evangelism, and more. Our goal is to equip the emerging generation to be a disciple-making movement for this unique moment in history. Our students seemed to eat up this intimate time. They have many questions about how to love others and respectfully share their faith, as well experience deeper community and learn to hear God’s voice.
Follow Church
Central, South Carolina
Our church hosted “Follow Deeper: Diving Deep into the Practices of Knowing Him and Making Him Known.” Here, we gather in community with college students, young adults, and others to go deep in worship, prayer, practices of spiritual formation, evangelism, and more. Our goal is to equip the emerging generation to be a disciple-making movement for this unique moment in history. Our students seemed to eat up this intimate time. They have many questions about how to love others and respectfully share their faith, as well experience deeper community and learn to hear God’s voice.
Psalm 23: Dinner Party
Imaginarium: Young Adults
Ransom Church
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Our church hosted a “Psalm 23: Dinner Party.” We invited our young adults to share a warm meal together, play Putt Putt, and claim Psalm 23 over their summer and lives. For the dinner portion, we wanted to build a warm and inviting space to facilitate authentic conversations. They took it upon themselves to serve one another through refilling each other's drinks, taking each others trash, and offering encouragement based upon what was shared. We provided journals that they could take home to continue to journal their thoughts and prayers through the summer.
Ransom Church
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Our church hosted a “Psalm 23: Dinner Party.” We invited our young adults to share a warm meal together, play Putt Putt, and claim Psalm 23 over their summer and lives. For the dinner portion, we wanted to build a warm and inviting space to facilitate authentic conversations. They took it upon themselves to serve one another through refilling each other's drinks, taking each others trash, and offering encouragement based upon what was shared. We provided journals that they could take home to continue to journal their thoughts and prayers through the summer.
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