Four page newsletter: September 2008 Chapter Newsletter| Four page newsletter: September 2008 Chapter Newsletter | | |
| Jefferson County MO Chapter, Fall 2008 Chapter Newsletter |
| What is Thrivent Financial for Lutherans? |
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 organization and is the nation's largest fraternal benefit society with nearly 3 million members. The organization and its members provide approximately $200 million annually for outreach programs and activities that support congregations, schools, charitable organizations and needy individuals.
Fraternal benefit societies such as Thrivent Financial for Lutherans are unique not-for-profit organizations that offer their members opportunities to achieve financial security and to help others. Although fraternals have evolved to meet the changing needs of their members, their mission remains the same: to help their members help themselves and others through charitable and benevolent activities; and to provide opportunities for their members to achieve financial security.
__________
| At your fingertips: Update your church and e-mail information on thrivent.com |
Have you recently moved or changed your e-mail address or church membership? If yes, you now have an easy and quick way to not only ensure the information Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has on file for you is accurate, but to also update it – immediately!
The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Web site now has a secure page to review and update this information – with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Go to www.thrivent.com and click on Your Accounts. Enter your User ID and Password (first-time users will need to complete an easy one-time registration) to access the My Accounts page, which provides a comprehensive financial summary of your Thrivent Financial products.
Click “Edit My Page” and a screen will appear showing your name, address, phone number(s), e-mail, church membership information and more. Click on the “Update” link to change any wrong or outdated information, such as where you have church membership.
You also can review and update information on other Thrivent Financial members who reside in your household (e.g., spouse and children).
If you do not have Internet access but need to update information, please contact your Thrivent Financial representative or Thrivent Financial for Lutherans at 1-800-THRIVENT (1-800-847-4836) and they will be happy to help you.
__________
| We’re building on our commitment. $20 million added to Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity. |
We’re celebrating good news! Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has increased its commitment to its alliance with Habitat for Humanity by $20 million, bringing its total commitment to $125 million.
Thrivent Financial budgeted $125 million at the beginning of the alliance and allocated $105 with a plan to add the remaining amount if Thrivent Builds proved successful. Based on member response and results to date, the final $20 million is now being committed. The increased support comes at the midpoint of the alliance with Habitat.
In the past two years, more than 650 homes have been built with families in need of simple, decent, affordable housing thanks to Thrivent Financial members, Lutherans and other volunteers. That’s 650 families who have the increased financial security that comes from homeownership.
300+ FAMILIES WILL BE HELPED THIS YEAR. YOU CAN PLAY A PART!
So many American families struggle with even basic needs. Food. Electricity. A safe place to live. Some of these are families here in our community. You can help change that.
You and other members of our chapter will work side-by-side with families to build their homes. No experience is necessary. All you need is a willing heart.
An application has been submitted to build a home in our chapter area for 2009. In the upcoming months, more information will be made available to your congregation, including contact information. Please consider setting aside some time and resources to help build homes and strengthen families—including one in our community. For more general information, visit www.thriventbuilds.com.
Help us build better lives. And a better community.
__________
| Funding provided through Care Abounds in Communities® |
Is someone in your community suffering from health problems and high medical expenses? Do you know a family in financial need who could use help maintaining their home? Is there a school, community park or camp that could benefit from new equipment?
Chapters of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans are organized geographically and bring together members to help others and help their community. 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.
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.
__________
Did you know that our chapter has its own Web site? The next time you're online, check it out at http://www.lutheransonline.com/jeffersoncountymochapter.
__________
| How to help your congregation |
Did you know that Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has a program called Care in Congregations® where funding is provided to Thrivent Financial members to conduct fund-raising and/or hands-on service activities to benefit your congregation or its related Lutheran institutions? In fact, Thrivent Financial members are encouraged to use the funds to help the congregation in its ministry to the community.
If you see a need in your congregation that could be helped through this funding, please contact a Thrivent Financial congregational coordinator in your congregation. If you don't know who your three congregational coordinators are, please contact a member of our chapter leadership board as noted in this newsletter, and he/she will help you get in touch with a coordinator.
__________
| Looking for a way to make a difference? |
Imagine yourself as part of a group of caring people with the opportunity to decide how best to use funding that benefits people in need and your community. Imagine being able to increase the impact that money has through community involvement, awareness, additional funds raised and the caring work of many hands.
Chapter leaders with the Jefferson County MO Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans do just that with the Care Abounds in Communities® program! And with chapter leader elections just around the corner, the time to get involved is NOW! The only requirements are: being a Thrivent Financial member; a desire to help people; and five to 15 hours per month volunteer time (depending on the position).
We very much need you on the chapter leadership board--without a full board, our chapter will not qualify for the funding that helps people and our community. Help us take full advantage of this unique opportunity to significantly impact our community and contact a member of our leadership board as noted in this newsletter today to find out more or to add your name to the election ballot.
__________
| This career begins with “care” |
Living your values. Reaching out to your congregation and community. Helping Lutherans achieve financial security. That’s what the Thrivent Financial representative career is all about. It’s more than a “job.” It’s Work with Purpose™. You’ll receive ongoing training, a financing program to help you launch your career and the support of a Fortune 500 organization committed to excellence in financial services and caring for others. Find out how you can join Thrivent Financial’s growing team. Visit www.thrivent.com/careers on the Web for more information.
__________
| Your gift to a Lutheran organization can accomplish even more through the GivingPlus® program |
Are you aware that as a member of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, financial gifts you make to a Lutheran organization might be able to be supplemented by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans?
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.
For complete details and guidelines about this one-of-a-kind member benefit program and for copies of the Member Gift form, go to www.thrivent.com/fraternal/churchcommunity/givingplus.html.
__________
| Your 2008 chapter leadership board |
President - Mike Rolla (636) 475-3060
Vice President - Susan Darnall (636) 861-2298
Records Director - Helen Pilliard (636) 933-2124
Financial Director - Robert Taylor (314) 982-2082
Congregational Service Team Director - Jay Moore (636) 937-3805
Assistant Financial Director - Edward Brazzil (636) 464-7974
Thrivent Financial Associate - Kim Appel (314) 843-2800, extension 17
|
print