Thriving Congregations Cohort 2
Information and
Application Materials
Cohort 2 Timeline
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March 15-May 1, 2025, applications open
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DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: May 1, 2025 by midnight Eastern (9p Pacific)
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June 1-15, 2025: Applicants notified of decisions
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By June 30: Cohort 2 participants sent onboarding information with links for discussion groups and pre-work resources
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June 30-August 31: Cohort 2 engaged in pre-work
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By August 1: Cohort 2 participants matched with coaches, first sessions sometime before Launch Retreat
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September 10-13: Cohort 2 Launch Retreat (see below)
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Grants distributed in October.
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First reports due: March 1, 2026
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Final reports due: September 30, 2026
Cohort 1 Projects
See what Cohort 1 is working on to see the diversity of possibilities!
Re-imagining Mission and Vision
A congregational re-imagining of their vision and mission will provide the foundation of reintroducing themselves to their community and developing next steps in ministry.
York Baptist Church
York, NY
Four Tracks
Congregation members will become involved in Community Engagement, Social Media, Facility and Financial Stewardship, or Coalition Building to grow and have and stronger partnerships with the community.
Immanuel Baptist Church
Rochester, NY
Facilities and Social Media
Assessing the church facilities & property for best use and future options; upgrading marketing and social media presence as part of their 175th year
University Baptist Church
Minneapolis, MN
Spirit Cafe
Developing a safe, comfortable place especially for youth and young adults to share spiritual journeys, pray, fellowship, and develop deeper journeys with God
Christ Congregation
Princeton, NJ
Rebuilding for Success
Upgrading internal and external systems to be more effective in ministry and outreach, deepening their connection with the collegiate community they are in.
St. Luke Tabernacle Baptist Church
Rochester, NY
Holistic Stewardship
Launching a stewardship initiative exploring the principles of holistic stewardship, embracing stewardship as essential for the church to thrive in the post-pandemic context.
St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church
Charlotte, NC
B
Say More about that Launch Retreat
All Cohort 2 churches are required to participate in the Cohort 2 Launch Retreat. We ask for two to three participants from participant steering committees to attend the full retreat.
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The retreat is a critical component to the success of participant congregations' grant initiatives.
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1. Participants will engage with the areas that have been identified by assessments from a variety of angles using tools they will learn in the pre-work and retreat.
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2. They will work alongside other members of their cohort, sharing ideas, resources, new perspectives, and inspiration.
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3. They will have ample opportunity for questions, clarification, and testing ideas with the Program Team, their cohort members, their coaches, and their steering committees.
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4. They'll build relationships that will last far beyond when the retreat is over.
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Expenses for the retreat are covered by ABCRGR's portion of the Lilly grant. Participants' travel, housing, and meals are covered. Participants will receive more detailed expense reimbursement information in July.
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A note about scheduling and virtual attendance:
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The Program Team has scheduled the retreat for a Wed-Saturday to allow people to be back in churches for Sunday morning. Most travelers would be able to get home by Saturday afternoon. We know this means the potential of missing work for some, but by knowing this far in advance, steering committees can determine which members will be able to make appropriate arrangements to attend.
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We are not making arrangements to attend the retreat remotely as the schedule prioritizes face-to-face interaction in many different groupings to build creative energy and trust. However, we do have access to wifi so steering committees could plan to touch base with their participants at home during breaks or evenings if they choose.
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Retreat plans include a visit to one of the ABCUSA mission buildings (Office of the General Secretary, International Ministries, or American Baptist Home Mission Societies) and/or conversations with ABCUSA staff.
"Pre-Work, You Say?"
Based on responses from our Pilot Cohort (Cohort 1), there are several things that will be helpful to you to have done before we have our launch retreat in September.
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1. You will have access to an online course that you do at your own pace which gives you background you need in the techniques and tools used as a foundation for this grant process. Completion of this course is required prior to the launch retreat, as our work together at the retreat will be based on your work in this material.
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2. You will be given a congregational assessment tool (survey) to use with your congregation. This will be submitted to Ministry Architects consultants who will provide you with a report summarizing the results. These results will help drive your decisions around your grant-funded project.
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3. You will be given the "17 Systems" assessment tool for your steering committee to use. This tool, again, will be submitted to Ministry Architects consultants who will provide you with a report summarizing the results. As above, this will help drive your decisions around your grant-funded project.
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Using these three things, and by meeting your coach, by the time you arrive at the launch retreat, your steering committee will have already begun the work with the congregation to discern possible initiatives to use your grant funding for. These "draft thoughts" will be fleshed out and brought to life with the Program Team's guidance during our launch retreat. By the time you leave the launch retreat, you will have a plan, a timeline, and "next actions" ready for you to get rolling.
What about those grant funds?
$28,000 grant for each church accepted into the cohort, to be used within the cohort year.
Grant funds can be used for a wide variety of initiatives and projects. No more than 25% can be used for staff/indirect costs. Funding can only be used for facilities improvements insofar as they have a direct impact on the success of the initiative. Discuss your grant plans with the Project Coordinator to ensure you will be able to request your funding appropriately.
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Cohort participants will need to track their grant spending by a budget. Budgeting will be reviewed at the launch retreat.
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The cost of the 12 coaching sessions and launch retreat are all part of ABCRGR's portion of the Lilly grant. Participating churches do not need to include those in their individual grant budgets. Additional sessions with coach or consultants will be part of the church grant budget if desired.
Application Materials
Thriving Congregations Program Team
Rev. Alicia Dixon-Garrard
Project Coordinator, ABCRGR
Tarra Hartmann
Region Administrator (Logistics)
Sean Williams
Lead Consultant, Ministry Architects
DJ Boyd
Worship Leader
Candi Cylar
Consultant and Coach, Ministry Architects
Lesleigh Carmichael
Lead Project Manager, Ministry Architects