Stewardship ministry in the Southeastern Iowa Synod is faithfully carried out in congregations. The Commission for Evangelical Mission seeks to provide encouragement, training and resources for stewardship leaders in congregations. As this website grows, we will be adding links and resources for you to access here.
To get you started, here is a link to the Luther Seminary’s site, “Stewardship for the 21st Century”: http://www.luthersem.edu/
We have a team in place, The Macedonia Project Working Group, who is working with stewardship and mission support ministries in the synod. We are one of eighteen synods in the ELCA who were awarded a “Macedonia Project” grant through the churchwide unit, Congregational and Synodical Mission. In 2011 and 2012, this working group is striving to make resources available to congregations – resources that point to the great gift it is to be able to give our financial resources to God’s work.
In particular, two areas currently in development are:
1. Providing small grants to congregations willing to pilot various stewardship resources. In return, the congregation leaders will offer valuable feedback and possibly serve as a resource to other congregations.
2. Training and putting into place a team of Volunteer Gift Planning Associates. These volunteers will be available to make presentations in congregations and small groups, lifting up the gift of being able to extend our faithful witness through wills, bequests, trusts and other planned giving opportunities. They will also be available to have one-on-one conversations with members who are interested in making a legacy gift to ministries that are important to them.
Please contact Rev. Gloria Keiser Dovre, Director for Evangelical Mission – Southeastern Iowa Synod, at dovre@seiasynod.org, if you:
1. Have suggestions for a good book, link or other stewardship resource to add to a stewardship bibliography;
2. Have an inspiring stewardship story to tell;
3. Are interested in helping work with mission support and stewardship ministries;
4. Are interested in a resource grant;
5. Would like to contact a Gift Planning Volunteer; or
6. Have a question about anything you see here.
Thank you for your witness to the healing and forgiving love of Jesus Christ!