JEFFERSON COUNTY FAIR
Were you able to come out to the annual Jefferson County Fair? It was an extremely HOT stretch of weather, but we took turns popping corn and taking advantage of an opportunity to say "hello."

IMPORTANT NEWS! SAVE THE DATE!!

A Family Style Fish and Chicken Dinner to be combined with Jefferson Co. Thrivent Financial Board Elections will be held on Friday evening, September 29th beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Turner Hall in Watertown. Sandy Webb will provide entertainment. The $11.95 per plate buffet-style dinner will be available to you for $5.00 per plate and a non-perishable item for the Jefferson County Food Pantries, with a $20.00 maximum for families with children. A cash bar will be available. A separate invitation will follow; otherwise send RSVP (names of attendees and ages of children) and check made payable to "Jefferson County WI Chapter of Thrivent Financial" to Jerry Birkholz, 621 Brookstone Way, Watertown, WI 53094. Maximum capacity of Turner Hall is 350, so RSVPs will be first come, first served.

As a membership organization, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is unique to the financial services world in many ways. Our members choose who will represent them on the national board of directors governing the organization as well as choose their local chapter leadership board.

The election process is a very important way for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to demonstrate two required elements of a fraternal benefit society:

1. An active, viable chapter system that involves many members
2. A representative form of government.

Without this election process, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans would not qualify as a tax-exempt fraternal benefit society and would not be able to provide the benefits to needy individuals, congregations and communities that it does today.

Please exercise your right to vote in your Jefferson County Chapter's leadership board election. CHAPTER LEADER VOTING MUST BE DONE IN PERSON AT THE CHAPTER LEADER ELECTION MEETING/DINNER AT TURNER HALL ON SEPT. 29 (see above). WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

7 Youth and 2 Adults – Teen Serve - fund-raiser - $500.00 3/1
Jefferson Cty Literacy – Bike Ride – fund-raiser - $1600.00 3/1
Reform in Milwaukee – No Sew Blankets – Hands On - $500.00
St. Peters School – Easter Breakfast – fund-raiser – $250.00 3/1
Alvin Bartz – Free-will Breakfast – fund-raiser – $1500.00 3/1
Gerald Kasten – Cong. Dinner – fund-raiser – $2500.00 2/1
Watertown ROC Youth – Golf Outing – fund-raiser – 1600.00 3/1
Watertown ROC Youth – Rummage Sale – fund-raiser – 1600.00 3/1
Glenn’s Brat Haus & Bake Sale fundraiser to benefit Concord Senior Center approved 3:1 up to $200.
Tomorrow’s Hope Walk Fest walking teams approved 3:1 up to $1,000.
Jefferson Co. Fair Hospitality Tent to benefit Jefferson Area WELS Kingdom Workers (hands on) approved $800.00.
Johnson Creek Community Vacation Bible Camp (hands on) approved $1,000.00.
Join Hands Day Event: Educational Garden Planting at Trinity/St. Luke approved $250.
Join Hands Day Event: Build, paint, staining at St. John, Newville approved $150.
Golf "Fore" Stacey Memorial Golf Classic approved at 4:1, up to $1600.
American Legion Bingo Benefit for Marianne Beckman approved at 2:1, up to $500.
Alpha Center Ice Cream Social approved 3:1, up to $800.
Ice Cream Social to benefit Rome-Sullivan Community Food Pantry approved 3:1, up to $750.
2nd Annual Walta Classic run/walk fundraiser by Lakeside Cross Country team parents to benefit Lakeside Lutheran High School track approved 3:1 up to $1600.
Good Shepherd Lutheran School 6th Annual Golf Outing approved 4:1 up to $1600.
Bethesda Lutheran Home Foundation 7th Annual Golf Tournament approved 10:1 up to $1600.00.

Talk to one of your congregation's three Congregational Coordinators today about forming a service team and requesting supplemental funds for a fundraiser or hands on service project!

www.lutheransonline.com/jeffersoncountywichapter

CONGREGATIONAL COORDINATOR position. Through the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Care in Congregations® program, your church -- one of 33 in the Jefferson County, WI Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans -- has money available for Thrivent Financial members to conduct activities to benefit your church and/or its ministry to the community. Three congregational coordinators are required to help administer the program and initiate funding requests for the activities. If you are interested in serving as a congregational coordinator in your church, contact Duane Anderson.

CHAPTER LEADER position. Through its Care Abounds for Communities® program, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans provides funding for members who, through volunteer activities, want to aid people and nonprofit organizations needing help in the community. In 2006, your Jefferson County, WI Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has $(dollar amount) of funds available for this purpose. The chapter leadership board is responsible for reviewing funding requests and deciding on the amount of funds to provide for each request. New people are now being sought for chapter leader positions to help continue the fraternal benefit tradition of helping others.

REQUIREMENTS for volunteer positions: A Thrivent Financial member, a desire to help others, and five to 12 hours per month of volunteer time.

BENEFITS: A smile on the faces of others you've helped and a good feeling in knowing you've made a difference in someone's life.

PLEASE – if you know someone who might be a good candidate for one of the open Board positions, please contact one of us with their name and phone number so that we might contact them. The individuals marked with " * " below are serving their FOURTH AND FINAL one-year term. They may not serve on the Board again for at least two years. Elections will be coming up in September. We need some people willing to step up to the plate ... and everyone knows someone who might be willing to serve if only they were asked. Please share their names with us!

* Steve Zillmer, President ... sjks@execpc.com ... 920-261-1224
* Wayne Pinnow, V. President ... waynepinnow@charter.net ... 262-593-8918
* Kim Winters, Financial Director ... kwin_findir@sbcglobal.net ... 920-262-0108
* Dan Larson, Asst. Financial Director ... larsonfullhouse@charter.net ... cell 920-988-1677
Becky Pfeifer, Records Director ... bepfeifer@charter.net ... 920-675-0403
Duane Anderson, Cong. Service Team Director .. juduand@sbcglobal.com ... 920-674-6007
* Jerry Birkholz, Events Director ... jcbirk@myexcel.com ... 920-206-9540
* Bert Rupnow, Community Service Team Director ... bjrupnow@execpc.com ... 920-261-3349
Jon Nelson, Youth Director ... nelsnfam@charter.net ... cell 920-253-8476
Lynn Mehringer, Communications Director ... hvacres@tds.net ... 920-699-2174
Susan Brockmann, Habitat Specialist ... tsbrock@sbcglobal.net ... 920-568-0568
Lane Albrecht, Financial Associate Advisor ... lane.albrecht@thrivent.com ... 920-675-0304

Through Thrivent Financial's GivingPlus® program, members can donate financial gifts to two different Lutheran organizations enrolled in the program each year, and Thrivent Financial will contribute $1 for every $2, up to $300 per year for each organization. For example, if you donate gifts of $600 or more to two eligible Lutheran organizations each, Thrivent Financial will contribute an additional $600 ($300 for each organization). In addition, Thrivent Financial will contribute an additional $25 for members who volunteer 25 hours or more at the organization receiving their gift.

All you need to do is complete a GivingPlus Member Gift form (available online or from the Lutheran organization) and submit it with your donation to the Lutheran organization. It's a very simple process.