Capital Campaign Tithe Complete: $187,500 Given to Wider Church, Community

When the people of Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, launched the “Forward in Faith” campaign in November 2006, they made a benevolent promise: ten percent (a tithe) of all funds received would be given away “to make a difference in the lives of people afflicted by disaster in America.” The campaign has now successfully concluded with gifts totaling just over $1.8 million.

“The congregation decided that it would be sound theology and Godly generosity to set aside a tithe of all money given to the FIF fund,” said the Rev. Richard A. Nelson, senior pastor. “The purpose of this portion of the resources shared was to give to domestic projects of disaster relief efforts and other projects serving the poor and needy in our community and other parts of the country,” he said.

In 2008 and 2009 nearly $117, 500 was given away as Forward in Faith benevolence gifts: 

• $56,346 was given to Jordan New Life Community Church, a multicultural congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, in the Jordan neighborhood of north Minneapolis. The congregation is a significant player in the revitalization of one of the poorest areas of the Twin Cities and carries out much-needed human services programs for residents of its distressed neighborhood.  The gift was used to replace the leaking roof of the congregation’s sanctuary.
• $58, 206 was given to Camp Noah, a ministry of Lutheran Social Services to young children who have experienced disaster—combining disaster recovery support with fun-filled recreation to provide a unique healing experience. 
• Nearly $3,000 was used to fund a work trip to Iowa, following the flooding of 2008.

With the conclusion of the campaign, the congregation of Central Lutheran Church, through action at a special meeting on Sunday, January 24, has chosen four recipients for additional gifts totaling $70,000:

• $35,000 to Jordan New Life Community Church for the purpose of retiring the mortgage on its building. The mortgage holder, M&I Bank, has offered to discharge the $68,000 loan for a lump sum payment of $35,000.
• $20,000 to the Currie Avenue Partnership—an unprecedented collaboration between the downtown Minneapolis business community (working through the Downtown Council) and Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness to move 150 persons out of homelessness within six months. The $350,000 project will hire case workers who will work with the clients to find jobs, homes and other needed services.
• $10,000 for Community Emergency Services, located just a mile from Central in the Phillips Neighborhood, for its Emergency Housing Assistance Program—a program that helps prevent homelessness for more than 400 low-income families each year. 
• $5,000 for Camp Noah—an additional grant to provide general support and to fund transportation for Central members who will volunteer this summer.

“Again, we are able to do some real good—life-changing good,” said Pastor Nelson. “How wise it now looks to have set aside these missional funds so that we can experience the joy of giving money away to great causes outside of our own budget and ministries.”

If your congregation is going to have an upcoming capital campaign and you would like more information on contributing to the ministries of the Minneapolis Area Synod through Making a World of Difference, contact Terri Endres, DM, at 612-230-3307 or t.endres@mpls-synod.org.