The Sharing Vitality Grants, created by the Vitality Ministry Council of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, are designed to help congregations explore creative and meaningful ways to gain, sustain, and recapture vitality. These $2,500 grants support new or expanding ministries that encourage churches to be ambitious, collaborative, and generative, while also creating opportunities to share what they’re learning with others across the NACCC.
One of the current grant recipients is the Church of the Chimes in Sherman Oaks, California, which has used its Sharing Vitality Grant to launch a Church Garden project. This garden is envisioned as a living expression of Christian stewardship, health, and community connection. By growing fruits, herbs, and vegetables on their own grounds, the congregation will be able to provide fresh, homegrown food for coffee hours, board meetings, youth gatherings, and outreach events – symbolically and literally feeding their community.
More than a source of produce, the Church Garden is also becoming a gathering place. It offers opportunities for teaching, reflection, and intergenerational service, where children, families, and elders can work side by side. The congregation also hopes the garden will grow into a model project, inspiring other churches and community partners to explore similar expressions of stewardship, hospitality, and shared vitality. As the Church of the Chimes celebrates its 76th anniversary, this project honors its long legacy of faith and service while planting seeds for the future. What began as a dream project has taken root through the Sharing Vitality Grants, reminding us that vitality often grows from simple, faithful ideas nurtured with care.
To learn more about and keep up with the progress of Church of the Chimes’ Garden Project, visit their website here.