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Partnering with you in ministry
The Children’s Ministries Department believes some of the best ministry happens when local churches, schools, and ministry leaders are equipped to turn great ideas into meaningful experiences for children and families. Our grants are designed to partner with ministries throughout the Central California Conference by providing financial support for programs that strengthen children’s faith, develop their gifts, and create connections with their communities.
Whether you are planning a community-focused Kids Rally, helping children share their faith through creative communication, or creating a meaningful Children’s Sabbath experience, there may be a grant to help bring your vision to life.
Scroll down to explore our three grant opportunities, learn what each grant supports, and discover which one may be the right fit for your ministry.
Kids Rally Community Impact Grant
Inspiring Kids to Make a Real Difference for Jesus!
Do you have a heart to see children energized for service and sharing Jesus’ love in their community? The Kids Rally Community Impact Grant is designed to help CCC churches create meaningful, high-impact events that inspire kids to put their faith into action.
Kids Rallies are festival-style community events that include a meaningful community service project, giving children opportunities not only to learn about serving others, but to actively make a difference in their community.
This year, $23,000 has been set aside for churches across the Central California Conference to host local or regional Kids Rallies—events that celebrate children’s ministry, encourage outreach, and help kids discover how they can make a real impact for Jesus right where they live.
We encourage churches within the same area to partner together for larger, collaborative rallies, but individual churches are also welcome to apply.
Each application will be reviewed based on the size, budget, and scope of the proposed event. Funding amounts will vary accordingly.
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Grant Range: $500 – $2,000 per event
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Total Available Funds: $23,000 (distributed across multiple projects)
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Application Period: Yearly while funds last
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Eligibility: Central California Conference churches and church groups only
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Funding: Reimbursement-based; approved expenses will be reimbursed after required documentation is submitted.
To help you plan, examples of rally ideas and activities can be found in the next section. These include creative outreach projects, service-based rallies, and interactive events that teach kids how to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their neighborhoods.
Kids Rally Ideas
Every Kids Rally must include a hands-on service project that allows children to actively serve others and make a difference in their community
Community Service Ideas
.Care Kits: Assemble hygiene, homeless, foster care, or emergency kits for local organizations.
Food Outreach: Collect and package food for a food bank, pantry, or families in need.
Community Appreciation: Create thank-you packages or cards for firefighters, police officers, teachers, healthcare workers, or other community servants.
Senior Connection: Prepare cards, small gifts, or care packages for residents of senior living communities.
Neighborhood Care: Participate in a park, school, neighborhood, or community clean-up project.
Children Helping Children: Collect school supplies, books, toys, or necessities for children in need.
Partner With a Local Organization: Work with a nonprofit or community agency to meet a specific local need.
Interactive Activities
Scavenger Hunt: Embark on an adventure with clues celebrating Biblical heroes and community helpers.
Sports and Games: Team up for exciting outdoor games promoting fitness and teamwork.
Workshops: Engage in short, impactful sessions on teamwork, service, and faith.
Demonstrations: Meet local heroes like firefighters and nurses and learn from their experiences.
Booths & Entertainment
Live Music: Enjoy performances from bands and choirs that resonate with our theme.
Drama and Skits: Watch captivating plays that entertain and enlighten.
Food Booths: Savor a variety of kid-friendly delights.
Picnic Areas: Relax and socialize in our family-friendly eating zones.
Craft Stations: Unleash creativity with “Hero Capes” and “Kindness Rocks.”
Storytelling Booth: Be inspired by tales of faith and service from the Bible and beyond.
Mission and Service: Explore interactive booths showcasing ways to contribute to community services.
Bounce houses and rock walls.
Before You Apply
Grant funds are provided through reimbursement. Approved churches will receive reimbursement after submitting required receipts, event photos, and a follow-up report. Photos and the report must be submitted within two weeks of the event. Reimbursement will not exceed the approved grant amount.
How to Apply
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Review the Kids Rally ideas and examples on this site.
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Gather your ministry team and develop your event goals, community service project, estimated attendance, and budget.
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Complete the online Kids Rally Grant Application Form.
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If approved, you will receive your grant amount and instructions for completing the reimbursement process.
Selected churches will receive confirmation and funding instructions.
Let’s work together to empower the next generation to serve boldly, love deeply, and shine brightly for Jesus!
Apply for the Kids Rally Community Impact Grant
Children's Sabbath Grant
Celebrating Children. Growing Faith. Building Belonging.
Children’s Sabbath is an opportunity to intentionally celebrate the children in your congregation and remind them that they are not just the future of the church, they are an important part of the church today. By giving children meaningful opportunities to participate, serve, lead, and share their faith, we help them discover that they have a place and a purpose in the body of Christ.
The Children’s Sabbath Grant is designed to help Central California Conference churches create meaningful Children’s Sabbath experiences by providing financial assistance for program and activity expenses.
Churches may participate in Children’s Sabbath and/or Global Children’s Day, creating opportunities for children to worship, serve, connect with their congregation, and reach into their community.
Grant Information
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Two-Event Grant: Up to $500 per church for churches participating in both Children’s Sabbath and Global Children’s Day.
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One-Event Grant: Up to $250 per church for churches participating in either Children’s Sabbath or Global Children’s Day.
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Eligibility: Central California Conference churches and approved groups
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Availability: Grants are limited and awarded while funds are available
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Funding: Reimbursement-based for approved expenses
Children’s Sabbath Ideas
Children’s Sabbath can be much more than having children sing a song or read Scripture during the worship service. Consider ways to give children meaningful roles throughout the experience.
Ideas For All Churches
These ideas require no additional funding and can help make children an intentional part of the life and worship of the church.
Children in Worship: Invite children to welcome, pray, read Scripture, collect the offering, provide special music, participate in the sermon, or help lead other parts of the worship service.
Children’s Stories & Testimonies: Give children opportunities to share what they are learning about Jesus, tell how they have seen God working in their lives, or share something they have done to serve others.
Prayer Partners: Pair children with adults in the congregation for prayer and encouragement, helping build relationships across generations.
Intergenerational Worship: Bring children, youth, and adults together for Scripture activities, discussion, prayer, or other experiences rather than separating everyone by age.
Children Serving the Church: Let children serve as greeters, ushers, Scripture readers, musicians, technology helpers, or in other age-appropriate ministry roles.
Celebrate Your Kids: Recognize the children in your congregation and the ways they are growing, serving, and using their gifts for Jesus.
Ideas the Grant Can Help Fund
Want to expand your Children’s Sabbath experience? Grant funds can help provide resources for activities that might otherwise be difficult for your church to offer.
Service & Outreach Projects: Purchase supplies for care kits, food outreach, community projects, appreciation gifts, or other hands-on opportunities for children to serve.
Special Program Resources: Purchase supplies, materials, decorations, or other resources needed to create an engaging Children’s Sabbath or Global Children’s Day experience.
Family & Intergenerational Activities: Provide supplies for an afternoon family activity, prayer experience, ministry project, or other event that brings children and adults together.
Community Invitations: Help with materials that allow your church to extend the experience beyond your congregation and invite families from the surrounding community.
Celebration & Fellowship: Help provide materials or other approved expenses for activities that create opportunities for children, families, and the church community to connect and celebrate together.
Don’t Start From Scratch
You don’t have to plan your special Sabbath from the ground up! Both the North American Division (NAD) and General Conference (GC) Children’s Ministries provide themes, program ideas, activities, and downloadable resources to help your church create a meaningful experience.
Global Children’s Day is the spring event, celebrated annually in March. GC Children’s Ministries provides a theme and resources each year to help churches engage children in worship, service, and outreach.
Children’s Sabbath is celebrated annually in the fall, typically in October, and NAD Children’s Ministries provides a new program and planning resources each year to help churches intentionally celebrate and involve children in the life of the church.
The Date Is a Guide, Not the Goal.
While specific dates are designated each year and generally fall around the same time, the most important thing is setting aside a special Sabbath to intentionally minister to, with, and through your children. If the official date does not work for your church calendar, choose a Sabbath that does!
Planning Resources
NAD Children’s Sabbath Resources
GC Global Children’s Day Resources
How To Apply
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Gather your ministry team and begin planning how children will meaningfully participate in your Children’s Sabbath experience.
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Determine whether your church will participate in Children’s Sabbath, Global Children’s Day, or both.
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Develop a simple plan and estimated budget for the activities you would like the grant to support.
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Complete the online Children’s Sabbath Grant Application.
Because grant funds are limited, submitting an application does not guarantee funding. Churches will be notified if their application is approved and will receive instructions for completing the reimbursement process.
After Your Event
Approved grant funds will be reimbursed after the required receipts, photos, and follow-up report have been submitted. These help us celebrate what God is doing through children across the Central California Conference and share ideas that can inspire other churches.
Apply for the Children’s Sabbath Grant
EMPOWERING KIDS’ FAITH THROUGH CREATIVE COMMUNICATION GRANT
Helping Kids Find Their Voice and Share Their Faith
Children have something to say about their faith, and we want to help them learn how to say it with confidence, creativity, and purpose.
The Empowering Kids’ Faith Through Creative Communication Grant helps Central California Conference churches, schools, and homeschool groups create a coaching-based public speaking program where children develop communication skills while learning to express what they believe and why it matters to them.
Unlike our event-based grants, this grant supports a process. Children work with coaches to develop and practice their communication skills in one or more of four creative categories, culminating in a public program where they have the opportunity to share what they have learned with an audience.
Four Ways Kids Can Share Their Faith
Recitation
Children bring the written word to life through the expressive presentation of a poem, Scripture passage, story, or other selected work.
Storytelling
Children learn to communicate a meaningful story using their voice, expression, movement, and storytelling skills to engage an audience and communicate a spiritual message.
Artistic Expression
Children create an original piece of visual art and then use public speaking skills to present their artwork, explaining its meaning and the spiritual theme or message behind it.
Persuasion/Sermonette
Children develop and deliver an original persuasive speech or short sermonette that shares a faith-based message, supported by Scripture, stories, personal experiences, or examples, and encourages the audience to think, believe, or take action.
How the Grant Works
Participating churches, schools, and homeschool groups create a program where children are coached in all four communication categories, giving them opportunities to discover and develop different ways of expressing their faith.
The experience culminates in a public presentation program where children share what they have prepared with family, church members, and invited guests from the community.
Grant Levels
INSPIRE
Community Starter Grant | Up to $500
Designed for smaller programs of approximately 5–15 children in a church, classroom, or homeschool-group setting.
INFLUENCE
Community Impact Grant | Up to $1,000
Designed for programs of approximately 16–40 children with a public presentation that includes invitations to the surrounding community.
IMPACT
Community Expansion Grant | Up to $1,500
Designed for larger collaborative programs involving multiple churches, schools, or groups and a larger public presentation.
More Than a One-Day Event
This grant is designed to invest in the development of children, not simply fund a program. The coaching, practicing, creating, and preparing are an important part of the experience.
The goal is for children to leave with more than a finished speech or presentation. We want them to grow in their ability to think about their faith, communicate what they believe, and confidently share Jesus with others.
Learn More & Get Resources
We have additional information, coaching ideas, category guidelines, and resources available to help you build your Creative Communication program.
Apply For a Grant
Ready to create a program in your church, school, or homeschool community? Review the program information and resources, gather your coaching team, and determine which grant level best fits your group.
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