COVID-19 Church Response Program Grantees Announced
— 21 April 2021
Six women serving in local churches throughout Sydney have received funding to support church-based mercy ministries through ADM’s COVID-19 Church Response Program.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact local communities, ADM has awarded $26,000 through this program to resource and equip women as they address these challenges, and as they share Christ’s love in practical ways. This program resources women to respond to unique areas of need within their local communities, and to express faith in action through their local churches.
As part of the application process, a Community Transformation Workshop was held in November 2020. This workshop supported Christian women in both identifying specific needs in their local communities, and discerning their unique opportunities to respond as part of their local church in living out their faith. Applicants used the skills and tools from this workshop to develop gospel shaped responses to struggling communities. As grant recipient Katrina Clifford reflected on Trinity Chapel’s initiative to support vulnerable international students:
“As we love and care for them, we have the opportunity to explain that we are doing so because Christ’s love compels us; because he cared for the poor, the needy, the lonely and the outsider, and he calls us to do the same”
ADM’s vision is to grow gospel-shaped women to serve Christ in the church, the community and the world. Throughout ADM’s history, our mercy ministries have equipped women to use their God given gifts to share the love of Jesus with a hurting world. The COVID-19 Church Response Program continues this work by supporting the following women to extend the love of God to their local communities through the local church:
Christina Thomas
St Peters Anglican Church, Seven Hills
Grant awarded for a church-run employment and re-employment training program.
Daphne Ling
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Kingsford
Grant awarded for a church-run community garden program supporting intergenerational connection, mental health and community building.
Katrina Clifford
Robert Menzies College / Trinity Chapel, Macquarie
Grant awarded for a program supporting the mental health and community connection needs of vulnerable international students at Robert Menzies College.
Kate Cole
St Alban's Anglican Church, Corrimal
Grant awarded for COVID-safe updates and mental health first-aid training for volunteers in the church’s The Hub ministry.
Kirsten Hitchins
Austinmer and Thirroul Anglican Church
Grant awarded to support a church-based program offering cooking workshops, provision of meals to vulnerable peoples, community engagement and food education.
Katrina Knight
St Johns Anglican Church, Glebe
Grant awarded for mental health and wellbeing workshop to support vulnerable community members and program staff.