More than 60 University of Illinois at Chicago students and young adults showed up for food, music, fellowship and to encounter God at Inclusive Collective's first monthly dinner and worship gathering thanks in part to a NIC Creative Ministry Grant.

The NIC's Office of Connectional Ministries awarded six grants totaling $13,500 to support and/or help start a wide range of social reform and creative ministries, thanks to your apportionment dollars. The grants will help support a faith-rooted justice pilgrimage for college students, a new deacon podcast project, a STEM program for community children and youth, an LGBTQ inclusive dinner and worship gathering, a community free market to donate and exchange gently used items, and a juvenile justice reform project to provide positive opportunities for Chicago area youth to engage with the community. 

Recipients:

Social Reform

• Inclusive Collective - Faith-rooted justice pilgrimage to Minneapolis Feb. 2020
• Chicago Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) Collaborative - Juvenile justice reform neighborhood intern project
   

Creative Ministries

• Deacon Advocacy and Advisory Group - Deacon podcast project
• The Center of Itasca UMC - STEM community program to reach children and youth
• Plainfield UMC Green Team  - Community free market
• Inclusive Collective - Soul Space, a new LGBTQ-inclusive student gathering for food, fellowship, and worship