The 403 Network has received funding to empower local churches to send students to university campuses as funded missionaries. Churches can apply for $2000 of direct funding intended to be used as a missionary stipend for the student applicant in their first year of university.

How does it work?

Youth Pastors fill out the primary application form which includes contact information of the student applicant they have in mind. The student applicant then automatically receives a supplemental application via email for them to fill out personally. Recipients will be determined using the following criteria:

1. The depth of integration of mission inside the sending youth ministry/church

2. The intentionality of connection with a receiving campus ministry

3. The experience and intent of everyday obedience by the student applicant

Why bother going through the local church? 

We feel giving scholarships directly to students misses a key value: missional youth ministries are where university revival begins. This award is designed to empower local churches to foster a culture of “sending” students into their next phase of life. This would result in:

1. More activated, resourced & connected disciples who can hit the ground running in campus ministry immediately

2. Culture-setting values inside sending youth ministries that will help activated students become common in the long-term

When do I need to apply?

Applications are due by the end of April 2022. Applicants will be announced by the end of May 2022.

Registration will open this time next year.

FAQ

Can I apply on behalf of a student who is already in university?
Yes. The primary objective of this award is about helping you embed the idea of being “sent to university” inside your youth ministry. As such, this award is marketed as a reason to have a conversation about the transition between high school and university from a mission’s perspective. However, if there is a student still connected to your church that is currently at university who would be interested in being considered a missionary from your local church we encourage you to apply on their behalf. Just be sure to stipulate in your application how this student's empowerment will have ripple effects in your youth ministry for the long term. 

Is this award only for students headed to specific institutions?
No, there are no stipulations regarding what post-secondary institution the student applicant is headed to. However, the application asks both the youth pastor and student applicant to outline how they intend on participating in on-campus mission; particularly how they are going to partner with an active campus ministry. If they are headed to a smaller college with no campus ministry or a Christian university, creativity will need to be articulated in how the sending church intends on empowering the student effectively. 

What if we have no relationship with a campus ministry at the destination institution of the student applicant?
Make a phone call or two! This award is not a quick fix. The rationale behind remitting funding through the local church is primarily to encourage sending ministries to do the difficult work of pioneering connections for the next phase of mission for their students. If a campus ministry truly does not exist at the inbound institution there are two basic suggestions: First, tell another campus ministry you’re aware of in the area the you have a student willing to start something at the given institution. Most campus ministries are ready and willing to dedicate significant energy and resources to pioneer new ministries with willing students. Secondly, consider a more hands-on empowerment of the student applicant by your local church. There are no rules that say a local church can’t start their own unofficial campus ministries to empower their own students! 

What are the expectations of the student applicant should they win the award?
The local sending church gets to decide what the expectations are of the student applicant. This is why the award funding is sent directly to the local church, not the student. A handbook will be supplied to winning ministries which provides best practices on what accountability to the sending ministry could look like. As a start, the number-one recommendation we encourage is that the sending ministry ensures that the student applicant gets plugged in relationally with an active campus ministry at their destination institution and participates wholeheartedly. Research shows that actively participating in campus ministry immediately upon arrival has the greatest bearing on the student’s faith and fruitfulness throughout post-secondary. 

How are the funds allowed to be used?
The cheque will be addressed to your local church so you (along with your church’s senior leadership) get to decide how to use the funds most effectively to empower your student. If your church can figure out how to give the student a lump sum in a way that is legal, there’s nothing stopping you. However, our suggestion is to have your church craft a simple missionary job description (also provided in the handbook given to winners) and set up a bi-monthly stipend. This has the added benefit of actively encouraging the student in their efforts and consistently reminds them of how they are sent and backed by your local church. 

Do we need to report anything back?
No reporting to us is required. However, once or twice in the next school year we’ll definitely be reaching out to the sponsoring churches to ask for feedback and stories on how it’s going. These stories and key learnings will help us make the award more and more helpful as well as aid us in future fundraising. This would be out of courtesy on your part.