Four page newsletter: Ft Bend Wharton Chapter Chatter
Four page newsletter: Ft Bend Wharton Chapter Chatter
 
Fort Bend-Wharton County Chapter, Chatter
You are a Chapter of Excellence in 2005!!
Congradulations of each of you and your efforts to be recognized as a Chapter of Excellence in 2005. (five Chapters(out of 50) in the Texas Region received this recogntion.) We were set apart due to your ability to find great ways to fellowship and support each other and needs in our congregations and community. You were able to muster Thrivent Financial members and friends from the community to do many good works with your time , talent and financial resources. The most sinificant improvement was an increase in volunteer hours to over 23,000 hours. Quilters operating from Peace in Rosenberg produced 500 quilts that were distributed to LWR, local familiies and disaster response,   and a 10 week summer program for 60 childen at Resurrection created the most significant volunteer time. We were able to leverage the dollars provided through the Care programs to rehab housing, help with medical bills, assist in disaster response. See "locate Chapter"    for a complete list of 2005 and 2006 to date projects accomplished.

Fraternal Highlights 2005


2005 Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Fraternal Assistance
Fort Bend-Wharton County Chapter


Fort Bend-Wharton County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has 2,866 members.


Member Benefits
Member Gift Programs $23,454


   * $23,454 in matching funds was given to Lutheran organizations, based on contributions
     from 90 members.



Educational Materials $23,340


   * 247 members received 1,254 educational materials valued at $23,340.


Community Benefits
Chapter Programs $6,334


   * 79 programs or activities were conducted by members. Total attendance was 13,465.
   * 23,936 volunteer hours were reported through these activities.



Chapter Care Programs $153,271


   * 53 projects were conducted by Community and Congregational service teams. Funds raised
     by members plus supplemental funds totaled $153,271.



Grants to Lutheran Institutions and Organizations $0


   * 1 grant totaling $0 was given to a Lutheran institution/organization in the
     Fort Bend-Wharton County Chapter area.
2005 Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' fraternal assistance
through Fort Bend-Wharton County Chapter totaled $206,399


In addition, small grants( totalling$8700) from the Texas Region Financial Office  supported each of our assistance ministries to help with Disaster response , a $5000 grant to East Wharton County Habitat for Humanity were distributed( their first house will be completed in MAY).





2006 - Moving On and Out with New Resources- Emphasis


                                        2006 Chapter  Goals



Member Engagement


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 Abounds in Communities® 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 Abounds in Communities projects– use approval  process to assure opportunities are not missed  - All
       - Assure each congregation can participate in a Care Abounds in Communities 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 Thrivent Builds 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 Abounds in Communities project to help assure House 2- Gregg
       
   - Publicize THRIVENT BUILDS 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 Fort Bend Wharton County for Thrivent Financial’s Charitable Gifting 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




Thrivent Builds - Habitat for Humanity
Texas was awarded 13 homes in 2006 under the new Thrivent Builds affilliation with Habitat for Humanity.(HFHI) -  that will provide $105M to build 500 homes per year over the next four years!!  
Six homes will be built in Greater Houston - One of these homes with the Northwest Houston Affilliate began April 8 with completion by late summer. Five homes will be started with the Houston Affilliate on September 21 and be completed in three weekends !!


see www.ThriventBuilds.com more details and what's already happening,  


Our Chapter Specialist for Thrivent Builds Dr. Gregg Dimmick- email : g.diimmick@sbcglobal.net  or Ben Powell email: mkpslpmom@hotmail.com would love to hear from you if you have an interest in being a congregational champion to support the Thrivent Builds' effort in reducing poverty housing in the US and around the world.


Done
 

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