Invite Welcome Connect
From Maintenance to Mission
Your Expert Partner for the Diocese of Newark's Invite Welcome Connect Grant
Invite Welcome Connect is more than a program—it’s a ministry of transformation. It’s about intentionally cultivating a culture of evangelism, hospitality, and belonging in your parish. Stoneroller Cooperative partners with you to use the Diocesan grant to build the systems, strategies, and materials that turn this vision into a reality.We help you move from a maintenance-driven church to a gospel-driven mission culture.
The Grant Program
The Diocese of Newark’s new Invite Welcome Connect grant offers:
- Up to $2,000 for single-parish projects
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Up to $5,500 for collaborative projects between two or more parishes
And the Diocese offers a subscription to the original Invite Welcome Connect materials here! →
Stoneroller Cooperative can help you leverage this competitive funding to deliver high-impact, fully-implemented initiatives — with training so your team can keep it going long after the project ends.
We partner with you on the grant application, project planning, and professional design. You get the tools, systems, and confidence to grow your ministry.
We partner with you on the grant application, project planning, and professional design. You get the tools, systems, and confidence to grow your ministry.
Package 1
First Impressions That Last
Grant Size:
Grant Target: $2,000 (Single Parish)
Focus: Hospitality & newcomer welcome
This package focuses on the ministry of hospitality, helping you create the organized, comprehensive strategies needed to make newcomers feel truly seen and welcomed.
Includes:
Grant Target: $2,000 (Single Parish)
Focus: Hospitality & newcomer welcome
This package focuses on the ministry of hospitality, helping you create the organized, comprehensive strategies needed to make newcomers feel truly seen and welcomed.
Includes:
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Design and production of a full Welcome Kit (custom print + digital)
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Greeter ministry guide and quick-reference cards
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Custom visitor follow-up email templates
- One-hour training session for your welcome team
Package 2
Digital Doorways
Grant Size:
Grant Target: $2,000 (Single Parish)
Focus: Online evangelism & newcomer outreach
The first step in evangelism is examining your communication tools. This package delivers a professional refresh of your website and social media, turning them into powerful and effective tools for invitation.
Includes:
Grant Target: $2,000 (Single Parish)
Focus: Online evangelism & newcomer outreach
The first step in evangelism is examining your communication tools. This package delivers a professional refresh of your website and social media, turning them into powerful and effective tools for invitation.
Includes:
- A strategic refresh of your website's core structure and homepage, focusing on newcomer-friendly language and design.
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Clear calls-to-action for visitors
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Social media templates for events and invitations
- One-hour training for your communications team
Package 3
Pathways to Belonging
Grant Size:
Grant Target: $2,000 (Single Parish)
(Can be scaled for the collaborative grant)
Focus: Connection & newcomer integration
Connection is the ministry of belonging—empowering lay people for ministry and helping everyone discern their God-given gifts. This package provides the strategy and materials to build a clear pathway for members to find their place in your community.
Includes:
Grant Target: $2,000 (Single Parish)
(Can be scaled for the collaborative grant)
Focus: Connection & newcomer integration
Connection is the ministry of belonging—empowering lay people for ministry and helping everyone discern their God-given gifts. This package provides the strategy and materials to build a clear pathway for members to find their place in your community.
Includes:
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Design of a Newcomer Pathway Map (visual + written)
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Materials for small group invitations and events
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Follow-up tools (email + print) to help newcomers take next steps
- One-hour strategy session with clergy and lay leaders
Package 4
The Partnership Project
Grant Size:
Grant Target: $5,500 (Collaborative)
Focus: Shared ministry & resource building for two or more parishes
The Invite Welcome Connect ministry calls us to
be a "missionary church... continually taking chances as it tries to carry the gospel to the world." This collaborative package allows two or more parishes to pool their resources and take a bold, creative chance together. We'll help you build a unified outreach campaign that makes a greater impact than any single parish could alone, fully funded by the collaborative grant.
Includes:
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Co-branded newcomer welcome campaign (digital + print)
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Shared website landing page for events and visitor info
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Joint training session for all participating parish teams
- Custom materials for each parish to keep and use
Do you have a specific need these packages do not mention?
We can speak with you and help tailor the grant application to your specific needs!
We can speak with you and help tailor the grant application to your specific needs!
What’s Included in Every Package
- All final files and materials delivered for you to keep.
- Staff or volunteer training so your team can maintain the work.
- Project management from kickoff to delivery.
- Strategic thinking and suggestions woven into the project along the way.
- We will provide any materials you need to support the follow-up report required by the Diocese.
Grant Eligibility FAQ
Q: How does the grant funding work with your fee?
A: Our goal is to have the grant cover as much of your project cost as possible, ideally the full amount. Since grant awards can vary, we plan for every scenario. If the full grant is awarded, your project is fully funded. If a partial award is made, we can either adjust the project's scope to deliver the most critical elements funded entirely by the grant, or you can choose to explore covering the small difference. Either way, this grant makes a vital project accessible for your church.
Q: Can you help with the grant application?
A: Absolutely. We’ll partner with you to shape the application language, ensuring your project clearly aligns with the Diocese's goals for the Invite Welcome Connect program.
Q: Do we need in-house staff?
A: No — we can handle the whole production process or partner with your team if you prefer. We give you and your team any training you need to take our work and build your ministry.
Let’s use this grant to create something lasting for your parish.
Schedule a call to explore your project idea and start your application.
Let’s Open Your Church Doors Wider! →
Let’s Open Your Church Doors Wider! →