Thanks to all volunteers for the thousands of hours of volunteer service unselfishly devoted each year!! You are truly making a difference in your church and your community.

He sets a great example as he encourages service teams to raise $3 for every $1 supplemented, by ensuring that congregational coordinators are trained and thanked profusely, and by increasing the awareness of Thrivent Financial.

He went to other churches and chapters in New England to volunteer to help build a house for a family in need of a home with support from Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity and the Western MA Chapter.

Peter has been an active participant in Join Hands Day activities, such as the landscape restoration project at the Squannacook Sportsman’s Club in West Groton, MA.

Honey had done a marvelous job of coordinating Thrivent Financial members and chapter support with the outreach of volunteers in the local community. She saw the opportunities for activities to make a contribution to the mission of Thrivent Financial by publicizing the good that is done as an organization.

She has been active in her church activities, especially those that reach out into the community. She organized a Sock Sunday, and Undy Sunday, and a Treasure & Tag Sale. She was also intrumental in starting the Atlantic District's LWML stamp program among over 100 congregations to help support the LWML Interpreter's Fund for the Deaf in the District.

As a chapter leader, she has personally called all the congregational coordinators in the 11 Lutheran churches in the state of Vermont to explain their role and the Care programs.

Service activities during the recent past included Relay for Life (American Cancer Society), CROP Walk, National Night Out in South Burlington (VT) Church, Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, and maintaining a Helping Hands garden, started as a JHD project, into harvest season, when many community members were fed.

Mary selected the Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity as the recipient of the Thrivent Financial donation in her honor.

Marie serves in the volunteer role of Financial Associate Advisor to the Queens County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Marie attends all Queens County meetings as well as the service activities that they sponsor. She is in regular communication with the chapter’s congregations to ensure they have access to and make use of resources available to them.

Marie serves on the board of the Martin Luther Foundation, which supports the educational ministry of Martin Luther School in Maspeth, New York. She was a part of the group that put this Foundation together in 2006 and currently serves as the secretary. She volunteers her time to raise funds for the organization to support its mission. Marie brings her expertise as a financial representative to bear on her volunteer work as she seeks to help this organization, through charitable gifts, to be able to endow and sustain its ministry.

Marie has been a board member for the Martin Luther High School and has helped in their fund-raising and development areas. She has also done similar work with other local Lutheran schools. She uses her experiences to assist as a board member, as well as to help these organizations raise the funds they need to provide affordable, quality, private school education.

She is a financial representative, leading the Skyline Group, which has offices in Maspeth, New York.

This first set encourages completion of major tasks chapters will want to complete in 2009. The top five chapters will receive a significant reward which will be delivered in the November timeframe.

- Appoint and enter into the corporate database at least one Chapter Financial Advisor. April 15
- Fill/appoint at least seven elected positions. April 30
- Conduct at least two educational or social events for Thrivent members. August 31
- Allocate and report at least 60% of Care Abounds in Community Funds. September 1 For every $1 allocated, $3 must be raised and ½ hour of volunteer time recorded.
- Have at least two chapter leaders attend a regional chapter leader event. April 1
- Complete and report one Join Hands Day activity. August 1.
- In some way support Thrivent Builds (fund raiser, social event). September 1
- Send at least one mailing targeted to congregation coordinators. August 1
- Report on-line operating funds spent during the first half of the year. September 1
- Report on-line at least three chapter meetings and their minutes. September 1

Set 2

This set encourages the usual performance we seek from our chapters. This should be achievable by all chapters. Besides feeling good about doing good, the chapter leaders will be recognized in January 2010.

Capital District NY with highest dollars raised to dollars given ratio: $7.16 dollars raised to each $1 in CAIC funds given!

Northeastern NY with highest volunteer hours ratio: 1.53 volunteer hours for each $1 in CAIC funds given!

Erie NY with most dollars raised $289,000

Southeastern NY with the highest number of locally supported activity dollars raised (dollars not associated with CAIC funding, but in supporting Thrivent events) $18,000

Metro North NY with the highest number of locally supported volunteer hours (hours not associated with CAIC funding, but in supporting other Thrivent events) 25,600 hours!

Erie NY with the Highest number of volunteer hours - 56,000

Suffolk NY with the most number of projects at 79!

Each congregation needs to recruit 3 Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members who are willing to serve in a volunteer congregational coordinator role. If you are not sure whether your congregation has 3 volunteers in place and your church is in one of the New England states, New Jersey,or New York, please contact any member of the Lutheran Community Services Team for the Northeast Region.

1. If the church already has congregational coordinators, talk with them to discuss ideas for making use of the Care in Congregations opportunity this year.

If your church does not have 3 congregational coordinators registered, you can help by volunteering and recruiting 2 other Thrivent Financial members to work with you.

Ask a member of the Lutheran Community Services team in the Northeast Region or call 800-236-3736 to register the 3 congregational coordinators. At least one needs to have email. Each must be a benefit or associate member age 16 or over. One should be willing to be the "lead," but that person will have no more authority than the other 2. The Thrivent Financial member ID# is needed to register the name.

2. The congregational coordinators meet and select a project to benefit the church or its associated Lutheran institutions (day care center, elementary school, etc.) It is all right to include others in the meeting and planning.

3. Try to think of activities that will raise at least 3 times as much as the amount of the Thrivent Financial supplement. For example, you may wish to use $500 of the annual allocation to help the youth group go on a mission trip. Therefore, you should plan an activity that you think will raise at least $1500.

4. The congregational coordinators enter the information about the activity in the Congregational Coordinator Admin area of www.thrivent.com. You will need to know approximately how much will be raised, how many Thrivent Financial households will help. If this step is difficult, an alternative is to call the Thrivent Fraternal Customer Service Center at 800-236-3736 to ask for authorization for the project.

5. A congregational service team (committee) is formed with a minimum of members from 6 different Thrivent Financial member households.

6. The team adds more volunteers to help with the activity.

7. Throughout the whole process, accurate records are to be kept. Record:
o the number of Thrivent Financial households involved in volunteering for the activity
o the number of Thrivent Financial members who attend the activity
o the total number of people who attended the activity
o the amount spent
o the net amount raised (net funds raised = the amount raised - the expenditures)
o the volunteer hours of all volunteers (include time spent planning, travelling, publicizing, baking, cleaning-up, etc.)

8. The activity is planned and publicized. All publicity should mention that supplemental funding (not "matching funds") will be provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Please be sure to use the complete company name.

9. The volunteer hours, net amount raised (if a fund raiser or appeal), Thrivent Financial members participating, total number attending are reported online in the Congregational Coordinator Admin on www.thrivent.com

10. If a hands-on work service activity is implemented, all receipts are given to the local Thrivent Financial for Lutherans chapter's financial director with a completed Receipts, Funds Raised and Expenses Report form to be kept on file for 7 years.

11. The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Operations Center issues a check to the church for the supplemental funds.

12. The congregational coordinators follow-up with the congregation's treasurer/financial officer to ensure that the funds are spent for the designated purpose.

13. Thank you notes and post-activity press releases are sent.

Repeat steps 2 through 13 until the whole allocation for the year has been used!

Some helpful forms and news releases for successful Care in Congregations activities may be found by clicking the links below. NO PAPER FORMS (well, not many) are needed for the Care in Congregations program!

If you are a congregational coordinator, you may wish to check with the congregational service team director on the local chapter leadership board to ask when the next training workshop will be held.

Blessings as you work to spread CARE to others under the Care in Coongregations program!

1. Ask your Lutheran Community Services Team member.

2. Call the Fraternal Service Center at 800-236-3736 to ask or to leave a message.

3. Send an email to fraternal@thrivent.com.

      Useful Documents