By Stan Friedman

CHICAGO, IL (January 2, 2015) — Love Mercy and Do Justice (LMDJ) granted more than $100,000 in 2014 to help 13 Covenant ministries initiate programs to at-risk populations, said Cecilia Williams, director of ministry initiatives.

The grants were presented to ministries across the Covenant and were diverse in their focus. Three of the ministries are representatives of the breadth of programs.

Appalachian Impact, a nonprofit youth-development arm of New Community Covenant Church in Buckhannon, West Virginia, mentors students, offers community camps, and other programs while seeks to reduce the 32.6 percent school dropout rate. The program also includes regular home visits to encourage parental involvement.

Renewed Hope Counseling Center, a nonprofit mental health outreach of Community Covenant Church in South Lyon, Michigan, is expanding its services to include group counseling and skill development.

Bethany Arts Ministry sponsored by Bethany Covenant Church in North Miami, Florida, engages youth from low-income Haitian immigrant families, who have little or no access to arts development. Arts education enhances academic performance and increases capacity for dealing effectively with adversity, organizers say. Productions also are presented to the local community.

“We can already see transformation happening in these communities,” Williams said.

The programs must meet a series of criteria: They must be biblical and prophetic with an overt presentation of the gospel, holistic and kingdom-focused, conducted in partnership with other organizations, serve the people most in need, transform individuals, families, and communities, involve and empower the local community, and seek justice.

Proposals for the coming year are being accepted. Williams said she hopes that LMDJ will be able to fund more than 20 grants this year and is seeking additional funding to make that possible.

For more information, email Williams.