Increase member participation in volunteer opportunities and use of available benefits of membership to improve overall participation versus 2005.

- Listen for what our members need/want –all
- Provide funding for congregation based gatherings- Jerry
- Provide intentional chapter communication on each of our benefits of membership- Ann
- Continue strong local publicity through newspapers and other media --------Dave
- Assure recogntion of events’ impact – Ann , Ben , Jerry, Chuck.
- Look for interconnections between congregational groups to increase capability – All
- Have fun in everything we do – All

Care Programs

Improve Care in Congregations and Care in Community overall effectiveness to raise expectations of what’s possible.

- Spend all Care in Congregation funding
- Validate interest of our coordinators at each congregation – Q1
- Assure training of each coordinator Q2
(Each assigned chapter leader )
- Encourage multi-congregation support of Care in Community projects– use approval process to assure opportunities are not missed - All
- Assure each congregation can participate in a Care in Community Project Q3
- Participate in at least one Care in Region project

Measurement : Make additional progress against a target of producing $3 of value for $ provided by Thrivent Financial.

ThriventBuilds

Be a visible “leader” chapter in assuring ThriventBuilds is implemented

- Recruit Congregational champions in at least seven of our congregations – Ben and Gregg Q1and Q2
- Assure our “fair share” of Chapter/ member participation /funding is successful September 1 – Ben/ Gregg/All
- Help position East Wharton County HFHI for an application to participate in 2007- by meeting fundraising /participation in House1 /House 2 . Use a Care in Community project to help assure House 2- Gregg

- Publicize THRIVENTBUILDS Worldwide – Ann – Gregg, Congregational Champions.

GIVINGPLUS

Target Lutheran Schools in Ft. Bend Wharton County /other ministries receive $50,000 through GIVINGPLUS .
-Be prepared to walk through GivingPlus potential with eligible schools / stewardship emphasis groups in our congregations – Ben and Jerry

- Continued publicity /availability at appropriate venues – Dave /Ann
- consider challenging each member to support our camps - Lutherhill /Lonestar for additional GivingPlus support- Ben - all

- Understand limits /opportunities to support individuals in Colleges and Seminaries - Chuck
GRANT PROGRAMS

Take advantage of grants available through Thrivent Financial

---Produce at least one applications from Ft.Bend Wharton County for Thrivent Financial’s CharitableGifting initiative . Ben

-Assure we are prepared for Disaster Response needs through Care in Region’s Program –Q3– Ann /Sharon/Donna /Ben (new in 2006)
Respond effectively to member inquiries re grantable projects- all

OPERATIONAL GOALS

- Improve sustainability of chapter structures /functions/transistion of leaders

- Assure a plan for transition on of leaders(Chapters and Coordinators)
for 2007 and beyond Q3 – Ben / Ann /Jerry

- improve our Website – recruit a webmaster – By April 1 – Ben/all
- improve our use of online reports /communications – all
- simplify – operating funds understanding – Sharon/Ann

- Assure Join Hands Day Project(s) is included in POINTS OF LIGHT recognition in 2006 – Bob
Volunteer of the Year will include an under 25 candidate – Bob /all

Chapter Leaders – focus/ passions– why we are here