Innovative Ministry in the CRC

Innovative projects and initiatives are happening across the CRC, and the Ignite fund is here to help support this innovation and creativity in ministry! If you aren't familiar with Ignite, the Ignite fund encourages and enables new ministry innovation and initiatives by providing seed money and mentorship and other resources to support the new ministry for a short time until it can support itself. Ignite aims to invest at least $200,000 each year in 10 to 15 new ministries. 

Recently, three new ministry projects were funded through Ignite! Check out these exciting projects:

Green Bean Coffee House - Seattle, WA

Sanctuary CRC and Urban Hands are partnering to launch an apprenticeship program in Urban Hands' Green Bean Coffee House. Green Bean is a unique space offering radical hospitality as well as great coffee and pastries to its customers for the last ten years. Because of their location in Seattle, Urban Hands is in contact with many unemployed young people. A community focus and flourishing business model has positioned the Green Bean to extend that hospitality to a young person seeking employment through the apprenticeship program. By offering a young person a four-month apprenticeship in the coffee house, the organization will deepen their connections in the neighborhood as they pursue radical hospitality in this innovative way. As a ministry of Sanctuary Church, the fellow will receive the additional support and encouragement of pastoral staff and council. Ignite provided $5,000 to finance the program.

Breathing Space - Lansing, MI

River Terrace Christian Reformed Church is planning to develop an outreach program that involves offering modified yoga classes blended with Christian devotions for friends and neighbors who are not church related. Because yoga is a desirable form of exercise, the congregation believes it can more easily reach others with the gospel. Ignite provided $3,000 to help cover the cost of a certified yoga instructor, publicity, equipment, devotional guides, and other supplies.

Mobile Living Room - Seattle, WA

Awake Church is planning to provide a "mobile living room" to assist members of the congregation in working with the homeless in the church parish and to provide needed space for a children’s Sunday school program. They're planning to do this by converting and customizing a school bus to meet their needs, which would involve removing all of the seats and adding carpeting, furniture, and decorations. Ignite provided $10,000 to help the church make this plan a reality.

Ignite has equipped and advanced 85+ ministry projects so far. Yours could be next! If you have an innovative ministry idea that needs funding, we encourage you to apply for an Ignite grant. Learn how to apply here.

We're also looking for visionaries looking to fund exciting projects like those above. Our goal is to gather 1,000 visionaries to give $100 this year. If you have a heart for innovation and are interested becoming one of the 1,000 people supporting ministry innovation in the CRC, visit the Ignite website.