Baptist Care SA is a community services organisation and affiliated ministry of Baptist Churches of South Australia. 

Training church community volunteers become COACH Mentors and equipping churches to support people experiencing challenging life situations.

These may include:

• family cohesion
• education and training
• employment
• financial management
• housing
• improving mental health
• reducing addictive habits
• decreasing social isolation
• improved physical and emotional wellbeing.

Creating collaborative and sustainable community projects. 

The Baptist Care SA Foundation makes funding available to SA Baptist Churches through Collaborative Community Projects funding.  Collaborative Community Projects must facilitate partnerships between SA Baptist Churches and Baptist Care SA, and be community-informed, collaborative and sustainable. SA Baptist Churches can apply for funding from the Baptist Care SA Foundation for amounts between $500 to $20,000 per year, for up to three years.  SA Baptist Churches must commit to matching the funding with the equivalent amount during the funding period. This is to encourage greater congregational engagement and ensure the sustainability of the project.

Funding considerations 

Projects that will be considered for CCP funding must include: 

• Approaches to relieving and mitigating disadvantage.
• Activities that strengthen community connections for vulnerable people.

For the purpose of the Collaborative Community Project, people considered to be vulnerable are defined as: 

• At risk of or experiencing homelessness.
• Recovering from addiction.
• Affected by family violence.
• Suffering financial hardship.
• Experiencing unemployment/under employment.
• Experiencing physical or mental illness.
• Living with disability.
• Experiencing disadvantage as a result of social isolation.
• Refugees and asylum seekers.
• First Nations peoples.

2023 CCP Funding Guidelines.

2023 funding applications close 1 September. 

For further information, please email Baptist Care SA’s Project Coordinator.

Funded projects 

2021

• Christies Beach Baptist Church – The SAFE Centre Support for people experiencing of domestic violence by working with the Southern Pathways Centre.
• Grange Baptist Church – Kids COACH. Connecting primary school students to volunteer mentors to build on strengths and develop confidence.
• Clovercrest Baptist Church – Family Coach. A mentoring program to connect families with young children with mentors and support by working with the Pathway Community Centre and Baptist Care SA’s Family Mental Health Services

2020

• Blackwood Hills Baptist Church – Driver Mentor Program. Building on the church’s 2018 Get Out program to support people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and do not have the finances or social connections to be able to achieve the required 75 hrs of supervised driving practice, to enable them to obtain their provisional driver’s license.
• Whyalla Baptist Church – COACH Mentors. A mentoring program to connect families with mentors and support to achieve self-identified life goals by working with community partners through The Hub, an established Collective Action.
• Port Pirie Baptist Church – Port Pirie Community of Hope Creative Arts Project. An outdoor community arts program focusing on the local indigenous community that celebrated artistic talents and encouraged the sale of art.

2019 

• Soul Food Christian Community – Community Meals Program. Meal preparation training and mentoring to support people who are experiencing unemployment to develop their strengths and skills, become more socially connected and increase their employability.
• Rostrevor Baptist Church – Enrich Life Café Ministry. A café-based hospitality training and mentorship program that supports participants to develop their strengths and skills, become more socially connected and increase their employability.
• Enfield Baptist Church – English as a second language class. Weekly classes to support participants develop their English language skills, become more socially connected and increase their employability.

2018

• Blackwood Hills Baptist Church – Get Out. Connecting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness with a community of volunteers to facilitate friendships and develop life skills. An adventure-based program in partnership with Baptist Care SA’s Crossroads and Inner Southern Youth Homelessness.
• Clovercrest Baptist Church – Kids COACH. Connecting school students to volunteer mentors to build on strengths and develop confidence.

 Funding provided by the Baptist Care SA Foundation.