The Diocese of Massachusetts Mission Tithe Relationship Grants program focuses on helping to foster and develop the global partner relationships of congregations and other eligible entities of our diocese. Our diocese defines global mission as a journey into God's mission, through formational pilgrimage and relationship building with communities from contexts different from our own--whether by virtue of culture, geography, background or experience, with the purpose of accompaniment, understanding, reconciliation and justice. Global means anywhere beyond the geographic boundaries of our diocese.
Mission Tithe Relationship Grant recipients and their relational partners commit to accompany one another, understand one another more deeply and celebrate one another's gifts, as they turn toward the justice that will bring peace to their communities.
The source of funding for these grants is a pre-determined tithe for global mission from the proceeds of the Together Now fundraising campaign. Following the conclusion of the Together Now campaign in 2013, our Diocesan Council voted to apply the remainder of this tithe toward encouraging continued exploration of and engagement with partners in the wider world.
These grants are intended to serve as a financial and networking resource for congregations entering new relational partnerships. Applicants should demonstrate the ways in which they are intentional about their engagement in a mission partnership. Their efforts should include or plan to include mutuality and collaboration with their global partners.
The Global Mission Commission is particularly interested in promoting engagement in these mission relationships among our congregations that self identify as having limited capacity for or experience in such engagements. The commission encourages congregations to consider joining forces with one another to collaborate in exploring and developing global relationships. This means, for example, that a congregation may apply for a Mission Tithe Relationship Grant in pursuit of a relationship with a global partner that, while new to the congregation, is already connected here.
Congregations are invited to seek assistance from members of the diocesan Global Mission Commission for their relationship discernment and other preparatory work.
For more information
Aspects of this granting program are currently in transition and some of the information above may be outdated as a result. Questions during this transition time may be directed to Margaret Lias, Administrator for Governance and Grants, at mlias@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 229.
Find a brochure summarizing all diocesan grant and loan programs here.