Please consider being a member of the Northern Utah Chapter Leadership Board (CLB) for 2005.  Last year our N. Utah Chapter Board had 8 members.  Several solid contributors have stepped down over the course of time, but enough interest has been generated that we now have a full 10-member Board for 2004.  We want to thank all Thrivent Financial members for helping our community.

Project for 2003                          Activity Type     Sponsor/CST    Recipient                              Amount
Spring School Operatta              Fund-Raiser       St. Pauls           Redden Family                    2,743
Oceans of Love for Steven         Fund Raiser      N. Ut Chapter    Steven Olsen                       2,354
Share, Inc                                   Hands-on           Elim                  Share Inc                                800
St. Anne' Shelter                         Hands-on          Our Saviors      St. Annes                                800
Cache Food Pantry Assistance   Hands-on           Holy Trinity      Cache Community Pantry      800
Spaghette Supper                       Fund-Raiser      Ascension        Boy Scout Troop 577              500
Box Elder Community Pantry       Hands-on           Holy Cross       BE Community Pantry          496
Brigham City Soup Kitchen          Hands-on           Holy Cross       BC Soup Kitchen                   382
LCD Projector                              Fund-Raiser      Ascension        Mrs. Nancy Shaw                   300
Quilting for Lutheran World Rel   Hands-on           Holy Trinity       LWML of Holy Trinity             300
WELCA Quilting Group                Hands-on           Ascension        Mrs. Lucille Dewey                200
Holy Cross Quilters                      Hands-on          Holy Cross        Holy Cross Quilters               200
TOTAL                                                                                                                                        9,875

Thrivent Financial funding can be allocated as either supplemental funds for a specific fund-raising project or as funding for a hands-on service activity.

The congregational service team needs to provide the chapter leadership board with all receipts or legible photocopies of receipts for expenses that it incurred in doing the Care in Congregations™ fund-raising or hands-on service activity. For example, if a congregational service team holds a soup dinner fund-raiser to purchase a new copy machine for the congregation, the service team should submit the receipts or legible photocopies of the receipts for the expenses associated with the fund-raiser itself such as expenses for the food. The service team should not submit the receipt for the new copy machine because that is not an expense of the fund-raiser and because it is a cost to the congregation, not the service team.

There is also a very practical side.  If we do not fill the top 5 required chapter leadership positions, i.e., president, vice-president, records director, financial director, and congregational service team director, our chapter will not be eligible for any Thrivent Financial funding.  As a special footnote, in another 2 years, 4 of the current leaders must step down for at least one year as written in the Thrivent Financial bylaws (4-year service is the maximum).  It would be best for new volunteer leaders to be elected to the Board before that happens.

Volunteerism is also important at the congregational level, because each church must have 3 congregational coordinators in order to receive Thrivent Financial funding for that church.  Our Northern Utah Chapter was fortunate to have all these positions filled in 2004.  All of our churches are eligible for at least $1,300 in supplemental funds for congregational spending (Our Saviors and St Paul’s have $1,600).  When combined with each church’s fund-raisers, each church could conceivably receive $2,600 or more for the year 2004 to spend on church projects.  Although, this does not make or break the church budget of any of our 7 congregations, it does allow all of our churches to do something extra that probably couldn’t be done otherwise.  

However, this is only half of the story, because Thrivent Financial allots another possible $10,640 in supplemental funds for Northern Utah for a variety of community outreach spending in 2004.  If you are not interested in running for a Chapter leadership position for 2004, then please consider being a congregational coordinator next year or a member of a community service team.  Together, we can make a difference.

Through the exciting chapter Care program called Care Abounds in Communities™, Thrivent Financial provides funding to members who form community service teams to conduct fund-raising or hands-on service activities to help individuals, families and/or qualified not-for-profit organizations.

So, do you want to help, but don't know how to get started? It's as easy as ABC 1-2-3.

This online tool—located at www.thrivent.com/ABC—is available to help you translate your desire to help into an action plan for making a difference. It provides easy steps to guide you as well as ideas, checklists and tips so you can successfully form a community service team and execute an activity through your Thrivent Financial for Lutherans chapter.

Here's a glimpse of topics you can read about:

Getting things started
1. Identify recipient of funds or service project.
2. Form your community service team.
3. Explore your capabilities; select your activity.

Making a plan
1. Request chapter leadership board funding approval.
2. Plan activity logistics and details.
3. Get the word out.

Do it! And Celebrate!
1. Do it! Carry out your plans to help others.
2. Celebrate completion of activity and recognize your volunteers.
3. Tell us what you did. Then pay bills and provide funds to recipient.

If you have questions about forming a community service team, conducting an activity or the Care Abounds in Communities™ program, please contact one of our chapter leadership board members.