Pastor Restoration Grants

Pastor, your flourishing and wellbeing is crucial to your ministry. Pastoring a church through the Covid-19 global pandemic has been difficult and contributed significantly to experiences of burnout and uncertainty of call. These are significant threats to your flourishing and wellbeing!

Pastor Church Resources (PCR) and Financial Shalom with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., are awarding grants of up to $3500 USD (and CAD equivalent) to ordained, active CRC pastors (Minister of the Word and Commissioned Pastor) to fund a temporary leave from ministry (two weeks and two Sundays minimum, four weeks are recommended) to attend to your wellbeing in response to the pressures and challenges brought on by Covid. 

Our 40 years of experience working alongside pastors has taught us that gathering together with peers for retreats contributes significantly to a pastor’s thriving. We’ve also seen the indispensable ways professional helpers (spiritual directors, therapists, and coaches) contribute to sustained wellbeing.

And, we’ve observed that pastors who take a vocational assessment to increase their self-awareness and articulate their strengths for ministry build resilience in their calling. The Pastor Restoration Grant gives pastors the funds necessary to engage in each of these proven sources of wellbeing: peer learning, professional helpers, and the Birkman Assessment.

PCR is committed to supporting your church, as well. This grant addresses church wellbeing in two ways. First, put simply: healthy pastors provide healthy leadership and ministry to churches. A pastor who engages in the practices listed above will return to the church more refreshed and ready to reestablish sustained wellbeing. Second, a portion of the grant is available to your church to pay for at least two weeks of pulpit supply while you’re away. The pandemic has been challenging for many churches. PCR and Financial Shalom want to ensure that supporting the pastor’s leave isn’t accompanied by undue financial burden.

There’s still time to apply! The deadline for new application is January 31, 2022. To learn more and apply for the Pastor Restoration Grant, visit crcna.org/pcr/pastors/grants