Two grants of the Ministerial Excellence Fund have now been opened to aid in the financial freedom of our rostered ministers. Read on and apply if you qualify. Online application links are posted below. Grant for Educational Loan Reduction Rostered ministers who are paying on educational loans taken out to pursue your call should apply […]
Gifts of Grace Ministerial Excellence Fund Grants
Over the last few decades, the cost of educating rostered leaders was increasingly placed upon the person called to serve. Although taking out loans to pursue education is normal, tuition and cost of living increases over the last few decades were primarily shouldered by students. This resulted in some of our rostered ministers starting their […]
Gifts of Grace: Toward Financial Wellbeing
(Formerly the Lilly Project) We have a new name! A goal of the Lilly Project is that it will be a part of our synod’s life for the long term and not something that ends after three or six years. Though the Lilly Project has become identifiable to many after three years of work, we […]
The Lilly Project
“One of the great things about working with this project, it has fruitfully agitated our synod to try to knock down the silence about money and the economic challenges of our pastors. In the process, we’ve learned things we didn’t know about how their debt was impacting their ministry and we’ve always been able to […]
Embrace God’s Mission + Equip God’s People Bulletin Insert
This Funding Initiative is investing in congregations’ and people’s lives. Why does your donation matter? We are excited to share with you just a few of the ways that your donation has helped change people’s lives. Thanks to you, we are deepening congregational vitality By offering congregations the opportunity to conduct missional assessments, which catalyze […]
Leadership for Faithful Innovation
The Southwestern Minnesota Synod, along with Luther Seminary and several other synods are participating in a project called Leadership for Faithful Innovation, made possible through a Lilly Grant given to the seminary. There is no doubt that the church is changing and the old models of leadership and faith formation don’t work anymore. We often […]
Facebook Book of the Month
+Rev. Erik Karlson, Facebook Group Facilitator- Good afternoon, my friends. I would like to introduce to you the new book we will begin studying as a group on Monday, May 14th. We will be reading Bishop Jon Anderson’s recommended Shepherd of Souls: Faith Formation Through Trusted Relationships by David. W. Anderson. The author offers five […]
Book of the Month Facebook Group
The next book will be Beyond the Offering Plate: A Holistic Approach to Stewardship by Adam J. Copeland. If you purchase the book, you can get the cost reimbursed from our Lilly funds by emailing your receipt to Carla Klawitter at Carla.klawitter@swmnelca.org. Click here to join the Facebook Group! Pr. Erik Karlson Will be our […]
Enrollment Time at Portico and Your Retirement Funds
Pastors, During this enrollment time at Portico (until Nov. 13), you will not only be making your health benefit selection, but also you will have the opportunity to make decisions about your retirement contribution. Namely, you can increase the amount that you will contribute in 2018. Here are three reasons to make an increase in […]
Videos!
Check out our Synod’s Vimeo page! All of our videos can be a resource for you and your congregation. Some of these videos are short enough to show during worship! Some videos would be good to use for council meetings. Lots of inspiring videos on our embrace God’s Mission + Equip God’s People Funding Initiative. […]
