Young Adult Ministry Network Receives Grant

Young Adult Ministry Network Receives Grant

The Rev. Vicki Ix Managing Editor, ABUNDANT Times

On February 24th, The Office of Public Affairs of The Episcopal Church announced the list of young adult and campus ministries that were successful in their application for grant assistance. YAMN, the Young Adult Ministry Network, was awarded a Development Grant of $28,277.34 to further the reach of this creative, collaboration of young adults 18-40 and those who minister with them in Western Massachusetts. Eighteen grant applications were received for 2022- 2023, and 13 were granted funds.

Will Harron, Network Organizer, created a ministry model that succeeds by “connecting campus ministries, parish young adult ministries, ministry outreach centers, and the Lawrence House Episcopal Service Corps in a cross-diocesan network, and in holding and publicizing worship events, sharing resources and job opportunities, and providing spiritual and social fellowship (diocesewma.org/young-adult-ministrynetwork-yamn).” The Network offers retreat experiences, opportunities for social gatherings and shared prayer and conversation via the Discord server.

In addition to organizing YAMN, Will is Province I Coordinator.

“I am deeply grateful for the ongoing support of the Episcopal Church and the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry,” Harron stated via email. “This grant enables two years of paid staffing for our ministry as we seek to build our presence in the diocese and build community and capacity with young leaders Western Massachusetts.

Two years of funding stability is a lifeline that will help us both build out our ministry and also build up our long-term financial stability. The grant committee was excited about our model of building a diocesan community of young adults and using the tools of community organizing as a template for this work. We hope to share the good news of our ministry, and hope also that our experience can serve as a model for the church as a whole.” ♦