2015 Walking on Water (WOW) Grants Announced

Once again projects for the Walking on Water (WOW) Grants Program came from all parts of the diocese, and from a wide array of ministries: urban parishes and rural parishes, university chaplaincies and outreach ministries. All of them had one common theme: vital, vibrant, vision-centred ministry.

This year's successful WOW projects included the following dreams for ministry: 

• Alban's Beamsville will expand their ministry with temporary farm workers from Mexico and the Caribbean by engaging new community partners and extending and enhancing the hospitality, care and advocacy offered to this marginalized population.
• The Bridge Hamilton will create Ananias House, a non-denominational faith community for socially ostracized adults who have legal prohibitions against being in the presence of children
• Grace Church St. Catharines will assist with the development of Person to Person; a program that will leverage partnerships, programs and best practices within the community to equip volunteers to companion vulnerable and isolated persons within the parish and neighborhood

This funding was made possible through the diocesan New Church Development Fund as well as funds drawn from the Outreach in the Name of Christ and the Education and Training Survive & Thrive endowment funds. Over the two years the WOW Grants program has been in existence, nearly one-third of our parishes and ministry affiliates have applied for funding, and over two-thirds have been successful. The average grant awarded is approximately $6500.

It is anticipated that the next call for WOW grant applications will be made in the fall with a Discernment Day taking place in early 2016.