Congratulations 2012 LCEF MNS District Outreach Event Grant winners!

With nearly 40 qualified applications submitted, choosing only five recipients was difficult for this year's $1,000 LCEF MNS District Outreach Event Grants voting committee. Lutheran Church Extension Fund is blessed to have these funds available to give back to ministry in our district. These funds are a result of the successful partnership between LCEF investors (LCMS members and organizations) and those LCMS organizations we serve with loan funding. Thank you for your support.

Congratulations to our 2012 $1,000 LCEF MNS Outreach Event Grant Winners:

-          Good Shepherd, Owatonna (Food For the Hungry Backpack Ministry)

-          King of Kings, Roseville (Hmong Ministry Outreach)

-          Mt Hope, Bloomington (Ladies Car Care Check)

-          Trinity First, Minneapolis (Community Health Fair)

-          Holy Cross, Prior Lake (Community Lakefront Days)

Please join us in prayer for these ministries and all applicants as they reach out to the lost for Christ in the coming year.   

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28: 19-20

NEW LCEF Volunteer

Welcome LCEF Volunteer Carolyn Wetzel - Christ Victorious in Chaska's new congregational representative! Carolyn is a retired teacher of St. John Lutheran School, Chaska.  She currently works part-time as a receptionist for Klein Bank in Chaska, MN.  

Rostered Church Worker 30-year fixed-rate mortgages

For a limited time, Rostered Church Worker 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are an option for new home purchases through our Well-Qualified Buyer loan program. You gain peace of mind knowing your rate is set and you are saving money.

SAGES - May 7

Visit LCEF Mon., May 7 at the older adults' ministry SAGES Gathering XXIV http://mns.lcms.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=eoa-4RWcXFE%3D&tabid=177&mid=810 at Best Western, North Mankato MN.

Rochester Spring Training Rescheduled

Rochester Spring Training has been rescheduled for May 9, 2012 from 11:30-1:00 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Rochester.  

Sign up here.

Congrats Concordia St. Paul!

LCEF Pres. Rich Robertson welcomes the students and starts off the day of presentations.Students from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn., placed 2nd in the inaugural Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) National Student Marketing Competition. The team of undergraduates—Emily Bryan, Tim Rivers, Stacy Hillmer and Zack Sieber under the guidance of Dr. Nancy L. Harrower, assistant professor of marketing—competed against three other Concordia University System schools: Concordia University, Irvine, Calif.; Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill.; and Concordia University Texas, Austin.

Kim Vieker of the LCMS gives the St. Paul team a tour of the Synod's executive offices, and shows them a unique bookcase in Pres. Harrison's office

Kids Put Their Stamp on Building God's Kingdom

LaVonne BerglundOne can teach children the importance of investing. But for Lutherans, an important component is also teaching them about stewardship – opportunities in which they can, even in a small way, contribute toward building God’s kingdom.

 That’s the reason LCEF established the K.I.D.S. (Kids Into Discipleship and Stewardship) Stamp Program. It's also the reason St. Matthew's Board of Christian Education brought the program to the members of St. Matthew Lutheran, Worthington, Minn., about four years ago.

 “They had the program at Immanuel Lutheran School when I taught there. I saw how valuable the program was and how excited the kids were about it,” said LaVonne Berglund, who oversees the program at St. Matthew. “It gives kids an opportunity to be involved in the ministry of the church, to learn to be savers, to budget and to give to the Lord.”

Download the complete article.

Spring Training - Chaska

Top left: Sharon Haberkamp: retired LCMS teacher after 41 years!, current K.I.D.S. Coordinator extraordinaire and winner of LCEF's Fred E. Lietz Individual Ministry Award 2008.

Top Right: Vicar Jon Niebuhr of Trinity, Carver and LCEF Area Rep Pauline Wiemann catch up.

Welcome Londa!

Welcome Londa Goraczkowski! New St. Paul Lutheran Church and Preschool Congregation Representative. Londa also serves as a Preschool teacher and church secretary. Great lunch today in Pipestone Londa!

Spring Training - Stillwater

There is still time to register for LCEF Spring Trainings in Chaska (Wed., April 18) and Rochester (Wed., April 25). Hope to see you there! 

Risen Christ Lutheran Church in Stillwater, MN was the site of the first of five LCEF Minnesota South District Spring Training meetings. Five members of New Life Lutheran in Hugo attended so they are in the front-running for the ‘most attendees’ to date. Winner will receive a $100 StewardAccount for their home ministry. Rev. Norm Heidorn won the pair of tickets to the St. Paul Saints.

LCEF volunteers gathered in both Norwood Young America and at St. Matthew in Worthington on Sat., April 14 for Spring Training. Winner of a pair of Mankato Moondogs tickets was Reuben Willmsen.

Maria Hendrickson, LCEF Communication & Marketing in the upper Midwest

Blessed by our LCEF volunteers taking time on a Saturday to gather together and learn how LCEF is a ministry partner with our LCMS congregations and schools. A few attendees in this photo represent St Peter - Gibbon, Peace - Arlington, Christ Victorious-Chaska and St. John - Arlington. Congrats to Reuben Willmsen (far right) winner of the local Mankato Moondog baseball tickets! Great morning — in Norwood Young America, MN.