Mission Founders

Mission Founders are individuals, congregations, small groups of neighboring
congregations, organizations, or synods that  partner to make Christ known by funding and encouraging a mission developer at a new mission site in the United States. Mission Founders nurture the growth of new congregations in the ELCA.

Mission Founders: 

· Pledge a significant financial gift toward the compensation package of a mission developer at a new U.S. mission site. (The average total cost is about $65,000 each year). The amount of your commitment is negotiable.

· Select a site to support from a packet of New Ministry Profiles. It may be within your own synod, or it may be in one of the fast-growing areas of the country. Several models are available.

· Promise to uphold the new ministry with prayer, encouragement, and volunteers, as practical, and maintain regular contact; and

· Participate, if possible, in the new congregation's landmark occasions – first worship service, charter Sunday, organization Sunday, dedication of first facility, etc.


Founders gifts
· are “over and above” regular mission support,
· are made to the Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission unit of the
  ELCA or to the local fiscal agent,
· may be paid over one to three years (five, if necessary for the donor), and
· have enabled the start of more than 150 ELCA congregations, in addition to those
  started out of the unit's budget, over the past ten years.


Previous Founders have
· shared an eagerness to be involved in the miracle of new life,
· wanted to live out Christ's Great Commission in a tangible, visible way,
· have recognized that starting a new congregation also brings great rewards to the donor,

  and

· have felt that the best legacy to leave for the future is another growing, serving,
  witnessing congregation.


Examples
· One couple committed $150,000 for two new starts.
· As part of their capital campaign, a congregation in Iowa committed $150,000 for a new
  start within their synod.
· A cluster of congregations in Santa Maria, California, initially committed $25,000 for each
  of five years to support a new Latino start in their area. Because this ministry is in a
  poverty community and will need financial help for several years, the cluster has
  committed $20,000/year for an additional five years.
· The Southeastern Iowa Synod contributed $40,000 toward a new start within their synod
  and $40,000 for one outside their synod.
· Grace, Loves Park, Illinois, called a second pastor to start a satellite congregation with
  young adults.
· A California couple contributed $600,000 which, combined with the contributions of other
  partners, enabled the start of six new ministries.