A TIME TO MOVE FORWARD
Cultural change is the only constant. For followers of Jesus, it means a swiftly changing mission field in which to proclaim the Good News. Our synod stands at a pivotal moment to address that change! We are called to be embraced by God’s vision and sent to equip people to serve this current mission field.
After deep listening among congregations, lay and pastoral leaders, our 2016 Synod Assembly voted overwhelmingly to support three areas to focus our energy for growth; Deepen Congregational Vitality, Enhance Local and Global Mission, and Develop Servant Leaders. All three areas equip God’s people to embrace the future with courage.
We, the people of our SW MN Synod, are moving forward with hopefulness and expectation. We are acting today and preparing for the future. Your support is invited to create healthier congregations and leaders in these congregations who do God’s work locally and globally.
Congregation Vitality
New financial resources will allow our congregations to assess their current strengths and their readiness for moving forward with new strategic visioning and new inspirational ministries. Congregations will also receive guidance and new resources to carry out effective strategies of communication and marketing to reach more and more people who need to hear and embrace the Good News of the Gospel.
Build a Ministerial Excellence Fund
A generous Lilly Endowment, Inc. matching grant of $250,000 got us started. Through a Ministerial Excellence Fund, our goal is to enable our pastors to speak with authority about their own relationship with money. In order to do this, together we seek to: Reduce burdensome educational debts, Meet difficult emergency medical expenses, and Prepare for retirement with greater pension equity. Nearly $100,000 has been distributed!
Local and Global Mission
New financial resources will create opportunities for youth and young adults. We will be able to start new churches and better serve our congregations and parishes as they begin redevelopment work. We will deepen our capacity to engage our neighbors new and old who are not connected to communities of faith. We will identify and carry out new ways to love our neighbors in SW MN and in South Africa.
Bulletin Inserts:
A series of bulletin inserts about your synod's Funding Initiative:
• Overall Funding Initiative
• Deepen Congregation Vitality
• Enhance Local and Global Mission
• Develop Servant Leaders
• Build a Ministerial Excellence Fund
Walking Together Hymn:
• Walking Together, C Major
• Walking Together, D Major
Download Videos
You can download each video from our synod’s Vimeo page or call the synod office for a USB or DVD.
Develop Servant Leaders
New financial resources will assist all our congregations to develop evangelists, lay preachers, worship leaders and faith formation coaches. We also want to provide scholarship support for upcoming new rostered leaders. Lay and clergy will be better prepared in matters of financial literacy, stewardship, and wise budget decision-making.
_
GIVE:
Give Online: Make a one-time gift online now by clicking here. To set up an automatic EFT payment for recurring gifts please click here, you must create an online profile. Please call 507-637-3904 for assistance.
Mail Gift: Please fill out a response card for you gift and mail your one-time or recurring gift to SW MN Synod, PO Box 499, Redwood Falls, MN 56283. Please make checks payable to SW MN Synod.
• Click here for an online response form.
• Click here to download response card to print and mail.
Make a pledge: Click here to make a pledge.
Helpful Resources
Looking for resources that collaborate with the Funding Initiative and the Lilly Project?
Visit our blog, the Lilly Project Category.
FINANCIAL LITERACY, LIVE IT, TEACH IT
Lilly Project Director
Rev. Andrew Hermodson-Olsen
andrew.hermodson-olsen@swmnelca.org
Deb Hess, Administrative Assistant to the
Lilly Project and Funding Initiative
deb.hess@swmnelca.org
Lilly Implementation Team
- Adam Copeland
- Cherrish Holland
- Erik Karlson
- Kathryn Skoglund
- Larry Strenge
- Linda Lagergren
- Lindy Kaden
- Mark Yackel-Juleen
- Nathan Luong
- Susan Lange
- Terri Endres
Lilly Grant Research & Planning Team
- Joyce Piper, Former Synod Minister
- Marv Isder, Avoca MN
- Kirsten Rabbe, Truman MN
- Tim Wrenn, Windom MN
- Mark Yackel-Juleen, Windom MN
Lilly Program Summary: At the end of 2015, our Southwestern Minnesota Synod received a grant of $500,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. This important grant has two major purposes:
(1) The creation of a sustainable Ministerial Excellence Fund will help lessen financial burdens for pastors in our synod facing significant educational debt, medical emergencies, or inadequate pension equity for retirement. Of the Lilly grant, $250,000 must be matched by our synod, creating a fund of $500,000 to be used over a three-year period to provide this much-needed financial assistance to pastors.
(2) The remaining $250,000 from the Lilly grant is being used to plan and implement programs and events designed to improve financial literacy among clergy and lay people in congregations throughout our synod.
Lilly Project in Action
- Ministry and Money Events
- Financial Literacy Events
- FREE Books for the Book of the Month Facebook Group
- Energizing and Mobilizing your Congregation Workshops
- Debt Reduction Grants
Spring 2017 Newsletter
