Division of Higher Education

September 17, 2003

'Leadership Harvest' Program Returns
To Recognize Excellent Youth Programs

Leadership Harvest 2003 The Division of Higher Education's Leadership Harvest Program returns this fall, identifying youth programs that stress developing leadership for the church.

Grants of $500 will be awarded to youth groups or congregations to support future leadership development programs. Congregations will be categorized by their average worship attendance: up to 100, 101 to 200, and above 200.

"Congregations have creative ways to encourage their youth to develop their leadership abilities and to examine how they will use those abilities for the church. Other congregations need to know about these success stories," said DHE President Dennis Landon. "With this program, we hope to collect those ideas and share them with the rest of the church."

In 2002, the program's kickoff year, recognized congregations were:

East Side Christian Church of Tulsa, Okla.
First Christian Church of Fulton, Mo.
First Christian Church of Salem, Ore.
First Christian Church of Salem, Va.
Northside Christian Church of St. Louis, Mo.
Overland Park Christian Church of Overland Park, Kan.

Groups wishing to apply for the grant program must celebrate their leadership development programs during each worship service on November 2, 2003, which is Higher Education Sunday, or another Sunday during November. Entries may be made using all media types, but a basic description of the program must be submitted electronically for use on the DHE web site and in publications.

All portions of an entry must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2003. Grant recipients will be announced in January. Complete rules are available online at www.dhedisciples.org/dhe/harvest.html or by calling (314) 991-3000.

Activities included in the project must have started or taken place between November 3, 2002, and November 3, 2003. Projects may have started prior to 2002 and may continue into 2004, but a significant activity must have occurred between these dates. Activities must focus on students in grades 6 through 12 but may involve additional ages.

"Because the whole church will benefit from learning the ways congregations nurture young leaders, we hope congregations will take a moment to show how they help develop these leaders," Landon said. "We hope we can heighten awareness throughout the church of all the ways we can raise up leaders for the work of Christ."

DHE nurtures transforming leadership for the church, working in partnership with Disciples higher education institutions, campus ministries, congregations, regions, and the other general ministries. Including cooperative efforts with local congregations, DHE helped distribute more than $250,000 in scholarships in 2003. Recognizing students who demonstrate leadership potential, DHE operates the Leadership Fellows Program for undergraduate students and works with the Phillips University Legacy Foundation to award additional annual scholarships to students attending Disciples colleges and universities.