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During November 2003, all across the United States, members of Thrivent Financial chapters were voting to determine the leadership of Thrivent Financial and chapter boards. Because of your involvement in this election process, Thrivent Financial's leadership in the national offices and in the local chapters is strong and secure. In November 338 votes were cast in the Owatonna Chapter of Thrivent Financial. There are 1378 Thrivent Financial chapters in the United States.
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 oppor-tunities for their members to achieve financial security.
Join Hands Day is a national volunteer initiative sponsored by America's fraternal benefit societies, including Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network. The purpose of Join Hands Day is to encourage people of different generations to volunteer together to build greater mutual understanding, respect and trust while improving their communities. It takes place the first Saturday of May each year. As a Thrivent Financial chapter, we encourage our members to get involved in this worthwhile day of building relationships among youth and adults while helping our community. If you are interested in forming or participating on a community service team to tackle a local project, contact a member of our chapter leadership board as noted in this newsletter for information and assistance. For more information about Join Hands Day, please visit www.joinhandsday.org.
The Owatonna Chapter of Thrivent Financial distributed $18,500 and the Steele County Chapter of Thrivent Financial distributed $9,100. These funds went to families to assist them in the payment of medical bills and to organizations to assist them in educating persons about needs and in serving needs within the community. Between the two Chapters there were sixteen activities that qualified for funding. These activities included pancake breakfasts, soup and pie dinners, spaghetti dinners, ice cream social, silent auctions, a benefit concert, a fashion show and specific grants. In addition to the above amounts each congregation within the city and county received funds to use in the program called Care in Congregations™.
Thrivent Financial serves eighteen Lutheran congregations within Steele County. These eighteen parishes within Steele County are divided into two Thrivent Chapters. The Owatonna Chapter of Thrivent Financial works with seven parishes: Aurora Lutheran 2110 Richway Lane SE Owatonna, MN 55060-4150 Emmanuel Lutheran 750 Jeffrey St Owatonna, MN 55060-2738 Good Shepherd Lutheran 2500 7th Avenue NE Owatonna, MN 55060-1488 Our Savior’s Lutheran 1909 St. Paul Road Owatonna, MN 55060-0423 Redeemer Lutheran 1054 Truman Avenue Owatonna, MN 55060-3540 St. John Lutheran 1301 Lincoln Avenue Owatonna, MN 55060-4031 Trinity Lutheran 609 Lincoln Avenue Owatonna, MN 55060-3407
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, contact a congregational coordinator in your congregation. If you don't know who your congregational coordinators are, call your church office.
Through the Care in Congregations™ chapter Care program, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans provides funding for Thrivent Financial members to conduct fund-raising activities (including appeals/collections) and/or hands-on service activities to benefit a congregation or its related Lutheran institution(s). Members are encouraged to help the congregation in its ministry to the community. Funding comes directly from Thrivent Financial to the congregational service team's congregation.
A congregational service team includes all Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members who want to come together to help a particular congregation or its associated Lutheran institutions. Teams help by conducting fund-raising activities (including appeals/collections) and/or hands-on service activities such as painting the church or building cabinetry for the fellowship hall. In the Steele County Chapter we have eleven such teams – 33 volunteers; and, in the Owatonna Chapter we have seven such teams – 21 volunteers…plus in the two chapters we have 15 directors. The congregational service team must have three Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members from separate households registered as congregational coordinators. These members do not need to be members of the congregation. In addition, at least six Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members (benefit, associate and/or youth members), each from a different household, must participate in an activity to receive supporting funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans through the Care in Congregations™ program. Participating congregational service team members may differ from one activity to the next, and participants do not need to be members of the congregation benefiting from the activity. (If the six-member-household requirement is met, nonmembers may and are encouraged to participate in the activity.) Funds that a congregational service team uses to help its congregation or related Lutheran institution(s) come directly from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans through the Care in Congregations™ program. Note: A congregational service team also may conduct Care Abounds in Communities™ activities to benefit individuals, families, local communities or organizations that are exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Reve-nue Code. (This includes charitable, educational and religious organizations.) In these situations, the service team requests funds and accesses resources from a chapter
Chapters of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans are organized geographically and bring together members to help others and help their community. Through the Care Abounds in Communities™ Thrivent Financial provides funding (connected to activities) to help individuals, families and qualified not-for-profit organizations. For more information speak to one of the Chapter Directors. The Owatonna Chapter of Thrivent Financial Elected Leaders Thomas A. Kuntz, President 451-6660 Richard F. Schuster, Vice President 451-7163 Joan M. Mosher, Records Director 451-7242 Gary D. Gilderhus, Financial Director 455-1311 Russell Rudolf, Congregational Service Team Director 451-8911 Harland G. Strohschein, Assistant Financial Director 451-2966 Nancy L. Deetz, Community Service Team Director 451-9287 Roland W. Truelson, Youth Director 451-7413 Janet K. Severson, Events Director 444-0087 (Vacant), Communications Director Cheryl S. Schwartz, Special Advisor 451-6676 Application forms for funding requests are to be made to our Financial Director, Gary D. Gilderhus. The elected leaders meet monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Groups are encouraged to complete and place into the hands of the elected leaders all application forms no less than 60 days (30 days is the minimum requirement) preceding the event.
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