The Youth Service Fund was established by the global United Methodist Church to support youth and youth ministries in their endeavors to live and grow as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. The Susquehanna Conference supports the global Youth Service Fund with 30% of all raised funds. The remaining 70% of funds are distributed by the discernment of the Young People’s Ministry Council. Grants are administered to ministries and experiences that further the mission and priorities of the Susquehanna Conference Young People’s Ministry Council.
Mission and Priorities
The mission of the Susquehanna Conference Young People’s Ministry Council is to empower young people to equip their peers to make disciples. The Susquehanna Conference YPMC seeks to live into its mission through providing experiences for young leaders to engage in leadership development. Therefore, grants will be distributed to applicants that are seeking to develop new or expand existing ministries that:
- Develop spiritual leadership in young disciples between the ages of 12-18 years old
- Provide opportunities for young leaders to mentor, teach, and support their peers in discipleship development
- Increase the racial or ethnic involvement in the ministry
- Are fully planned and executed by young leaders (between 12-18 years old)
- Change the culture of the local church to be more inclusive of young leadership
Requirements for Selection of YSF Projects
When applying for Youth Service Fund (YSF) grants, the YPMC will evaluate the applicant’s execution of the above-mentioned priorities. The more closely aligned the application is to all the priorities, the higher the opportunity for funding. Beyond aligning with the priorities set by the YPMC, all applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Ministries or experiences must incorporate youth leadership and development in every aspect of the experience. (12-18 years of age, have been leaders in the creation, development, implementation and evaluation of a project.)
- YSF money is to be used to develop new projects or expand existing ministries that will become self-supporting. YSF grants will not be used to fund a deficit or partially or fully pay salary or commission. There is no guarantee of funding after one year. No ministry or experience will receive grant money more than three times.
- YSF grants could have a substantial impact on the project but will not fund the entire project.
- Grants will only go to fund experiences in connection with local United Methodist churches or UM Boards and Agencies. Ecumenical ministry experiences could receive support if United Methodist young leaders serve in key leadership positions.
- Applications will be accepted April 1, 2021 - October 31, 2021. Applications received after October 31 will not be considered.
