Read how these local churches and ministry partners utilized a Board of Laity grant in 2024 to train and resource laity. Grants of up to $500 will be awarded this fall.
The Michigan Conference Board of Laity is offering training and resource grants to laity again this fall. Applications are due by October 1, 2025. Click the button below to access the application form.
This grant is for resources and leadership training events for lay members that local churches or United Methodist-affiliated ministry partners cannot fund. Examples of areas that might apply include opportunities to improve leadership and communications skills, resources for faith formation or anti-racism training, and empowering the laity for specialized ministry.
In 2024, seven Board of Laity grants were awarded, amounting to $3,000. Here are three examples:
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- The Wesley Foundation at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo requested enneagram training with optional coaching. There were 13 people from three different faith communities: Wesley of Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor: First UMC, and Portage: Chapel Hill UMC. It was offered online and in person. With the assistance of the grant funding, they were able to offer scholarships for three young adults, as well as provide catering for breakfast and lunch on the second day of the program.
- United Methodist Urban Youth Alliance, a ministry of the Greater Detroit District, developed a prayer labyrinth that was used during this year’s camp leadership training workshop. The retreat/workshop took place at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, near Houston.
- Manchester UMC requested funds for an Emotionally Healthy Spirituality 8-week book study, utilizing the book Dynamite Prayer, for each participating family. They also offered a hybrid study on prayer for four weeks.
What ideas do you have for continued education or resources for laity in your local church or ministry? If you lack the funds and a grant would bring an opportunity within reach, the Michigan Conference Board of Laity is offering resource and training grants of up to $500. The Board of Laity aims to help cultivate, support, and expand your skills, providing you with valuable resources!
Grant applications are due by October 1, 2025, and must be submitted by a lay member. Work under the grants must be completed by March 1, 2026, and reports of completed actions must be submitted to the Board of Laity Grants Task Force by March 31, 2026.
Here is the link to the application. Thank you for sharing this opportunity with your groups and contacts.
If you have questions, please email Denny Wissinger, Michigan Conference Co-Lay Leader, at [email protected].
Last Updated on September 8, 2025