2015–2017 Mission Grant: Providing Hope for Detroit — Acts 2 Enterprise, $100,000 fully paid

Acts 2 Enterprise of the Michigan District has continued its strategy of holistic outreach through 6 components: Kingdom activity, leadership development, facilitating resources, engaging communities, implementing transformative systems and collaborating and partnering with community stakeholders.

A2E expanded its outreach activity to include back to school supplies through Lutheran churches in Detroit and Pontiac by providing 250 back packs to community residents in Fall 2016. The work of leadership development for local and regional leaders was facilitated through the Fall 2016 Urban Institute. The theme was Transformed to Transform which provided training on principles and strategies for personal and corporate transformation to effectively engage the community.

A2E celebrated its 4^th soft skill training graduation in Spring 2016 and will begin its next class September 2017. The purpose of this eight week session is to provide a Christ Centered curriculum which provides a vocational inventory, conflict resolution skills, resume writing, job search skills and interview skills to adults 18 years and over in the community.

A2E has extended its summer sports camp outreach to engage youth in the community to a 4^th site located in Benton Harbor, in conjunction with Trinity Saint Joseph, where there is no Lutheran presence. The objective of the sports camp is to position churches to engage the unchurched youth through a weeklong free sports camp. The camp incorporates sports such as flag football, lacrosse, golf, cheerleading, soccer, and marital arts. The camp has a theme and a bible verse which the participants are shared to memorize. There is a time for “coaches” to sit down with participants and have a devotional time. The goal is to extend the presence of the body of Christ and to build relationships with both the participants and their parents. It is from these endeavors that our desire is to discover more insight into the lives of the residents.

One of the most exciting new endeavors which has begun with three churches in Detroit is the development of a student ministry for the congregations. Congregational leaders who are passionate about establishing a faith formation tract for children and youth have been meeting together since March 2017. These congregations will not be able to afford a full time paid youth worker so a process is in place to raise up the leaders in the congregations to facilitate this generational ministry.  The leaders are trained to provide a pedagogical path for students who will live out their faith intentionally and purposely in their home, school and community. September will be the kickoff for this student ministry to begin in the city of Detroit.

For more information about this mission grant, view the individual mission grant page here.