United Reformed Eastern Province Trust

United Reformed Eastern Province Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 248796).

The United Reformed Eastern Province Trust exists to advance the Christian religion for the public benefit in line with the doctrines and usages of the United Reformed Church, by supporting the work of the Eastern Synod of that Church. Its aims are to support local churches in their outreach and mission and to share the vision of the URC's General Assembly with them. It makes grants and, sometimes, loans (programme related investments) to local churches and ministers for employment, children and young people, IT, mission and outreach, property maintenance and improvement including environmental work, and ministerial and lay training. Its Mission Grant Scheme uses an accompanied process to encourage and enable mission activities. The annual report records £685,938 awarded in the latest year.

Priority Areas

The foundation makes grants and, sometimes, loans to local churches and ministers to help them develop and maintain their life and witness. It supports property work, mission and outreach, children and young people, employment, ministerial and lay training, and discipleship development. Its grants also cover quinquennial surveys, lay preaching, church activities, employment of staff, and improvements to buildings, including environmental work. The Synod accompanies churches through project development and the application process. Funding depends on evidence of a church’s ongoing mission life and the resources it can use. Mission grants focus on initiating projects rather than sustaining existing or ongoing work.

Themes

• Church property
• Mission and outreach
• Children and youth work
• Church employment
• Ministerial training
• Lay preaching
• Discipleship development

Geographic Focus

County of Essex.

Local churches begin by contacting the appropriate Synod officer (a Mission Practitioner for mission or children’s and youth work, or the Property Officer for property grants). They submit an initial enquiry with their latest accounts and mission statement; a Synod officer accompanies the review and project development. Once agreed to proceed, the church submits the full application and supporting documents to the relevant committee. Building-work applications need at least three competitive quotations.

Who can apply:

• Property grants: All applications concerning building works need to provide evidence of obtaining, at least, three competitive quotations.
• Continuing Ministerial Education: Grants are available for ordained Ministers of Word and Sacrament and Church Related Community Workers
• Lay Preachers: Grants are available for Lay Preachers
• Discipleship Development Fund: £5,000/year is available to recognised groups within the URC to enhance discipleship development.

What to send:

• Property grants: Evidence of obtaining, at least, three competitive quotations.
• Quinquennial Surveys: A professional survey report covering all of the properties of the Church and in the format of the Synod Building Report Form.
• Mission and Property grants
  • The latest accounts and Mission Statement.
  • All supporting documentation.
• AT Jay Trust: Your name and details of your ministry situation; why you are asking for funding and how that fulfils the above criteria; total cost of your project, how much you have already raised, and how much you are asking for from the Trust.

What the charity says:

• Funding depends on evidence of the church’s ongoing mission life and existing resources it can use.
• Synod representatives accompany churches in exploring projects and completing applications.
• Building applications should reflect good practice for energy saving and environmental issues.