Rule 2 Grant Recipients Named

Named after Wesley’s Rule for Christian Living “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can,” the Rule 2 Grant is designed to support collegiate ministry groups, local churches, districts, conferences or other groups affiliated with The United Methodist Church and serving college/university students. Rule 2 is administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) through the office of Collegiate Ministry.

Grants are awarded in three categories, new initiatives (maximum of $4,500 per grant), continuing collegiate ministry programs (maximum of $2,000 per grant), and student-initiated grants (maximum of $2,000 per grant). Priority is given to programs, projects, events or opportunities that are sustainable, reproducible, innovative. Initiatives that rely on matching or additional funds to multiply the impact of the grant are also give priority.

“This year, we asked applicants to describe the context of their ministries. We wanted to know the culture of the student body each are serving,” said Rev. Matthew Charlton, Ph.D., assistant general secretary, Collegiate Ministry at GBHEM. “We looked at how many students their ministries serve; what the culture was like, including if students were commuters or if they live on campus; how many students receive assistance to attend school; and what the religious makeup is on campus. We want to help those receiving this grant extend their reach, and we want to be able to show just how they’re doing that.”

In 2017, 11 new initiatives, four continuing programs and one student-initiated program were selected to receive Rule 2 Grants. The full list of 2017 recipients is below.

2017 Rule 2 Grant recipients

New Initiatives:

• Reach 3000, Cooperative Christian Ministry in Higher Education, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Nexus-Campus Community and Church, United Campus Ministry, Billings, Montana       
• MOC-Methodists on Campus, University United Methodist Church, Irvine, California
• Welcoming and Loving All Our Neighbors, St. Paul’s UMC and Wesley Foundation, State College, Pennsylvania
• Ranger College Expansion, Tarleton Wesley, Stephenville, Texas
• U of A Wesley Graduate Student Ministry, University of Arkansas Wesley College Ministry, Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Michigan Area UM Campus Ministry Fund Development, West Michigan Conference, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Social Justice Immersion, Wesley Foundation of Austin Peay University, Clarksville, Tennessee
• Sankofa, ERACCE & Wesley Foundation of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Freshmen @ Wesley, Wesley Foundation at Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
• Wesley House Residency, Texas Christian University Wesley Foundation, Fort Worth, Texas

Continuing Programs:

• Retreat Ministries, Spring Retreat 2018, Wesley Foundation at the University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland
• ¡Adelente!, United Methodist Campus Ministry of the Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas
• Coffee Talks with Student Veterans, Urban Abbey United Methodist Church / Campus Ministry, Omaha, Nebraska
• Kairos Koffee, Southeastern Louisiana University Wesley Foundation, Hammond, Louisiana

Student Initiated:

• Breaking Bread, Breaking Boundaries Luncheon Greensboro College, Greensboro, North Carolina

To learn more about Rule 2 Grants or the Office of Collegiate Ministry, visit GBHEM.org or Collegiate Ministry.

About GBHEM: As the leadership development agency of The United Methodist Church, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s mission is to build capacity for United Methodist lay and clergy leaders to discover, claim and flourish in Christ’s calling in their lives, by creating connections and providing resources to aid in recruitment, education, professional development and spiritual formation. Every elder, deacon and licensed local pastor benefits from our training and candidacy programs. Many young adults find help in clarifying their vocation and God’s call in their lives through our leadership and discernment programs. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @GBHEM.