The Collaborative Community Projects are an exciting initiative that has been launched this year to facilitate the partnering of South Australian Baptist Churches and Baptist Care SA to effectively mitigate disadvantage and strengthen local community. The project funding aims to assist local Baptist Churches by providing resources and greater access to expertise to work with vulnerable people in their local community in a participatory, asset-based, collaborative and ongoing manner.
During the first round of funding we were very pleased to have 17 South Australian Baptist churches engage with Baptist Care SA during our Thriving Communities workshops. These workshops explored what Community Development, from an asset based approach, can look like in the unique context each church finds themselves in.
We worked with a number of churches in the application process and subsequently received four submissions for the first round of this project funding.
These project applications came from churches who are already engaging with their local communities, have built relationships and are planning to continue to build on these to further strengthen their communities.
The applications include positive initiatives such as strength-based mentoring of vulnerable children and families partnering directly with a Baptist Care SA service to provide a continuum of care by building friendships with vulnerable young people, and plans to facilitate connection between neighbours in areas of disadvantage.
We look forward to announcing the successful projects soon. We continue to work with other local South Australian Baptist Churches to support them in planning projects that are uniquely suited to their individual contexts and bring out the strength of their local community as they seek to mitigate disadvantage together.
A number of churches are meeting with me to discuss their plans to apply for the second round of project funding. Please contact me if you would like to discuss this opportunity.
Ellen Beasy
Collaborative Community Project Officer
E ebeasy@baptistcaresa.org.au
