CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America contributed $1.5 million to the Vision for Mission Fund in 1997. The fund provides an opportunity for individual members of the ELCA to make gifts over and above congregational giving in support of global and domestic mission.
"The Vision for Mission Fund is four years old and has earned a total of $4.5 million to support the ongoing work of the church," said Jerry Olstad, Vision for Mission director. The fund is intended to be an "ongoing opportunity for celebration giving to the church and its mission, and not a one-time appeal," he said.
This year 21 of the ELCA's 65 synods will participate in Vision for Mission through local outreach projects, work with the wider church, and a companion synod project that links ELCA synods with other Lutheran churches of the world, said Olstad.
The ELCA Foundation reports that an endowment for the Vision for Mission Fund has grown to $4 million. The endowment fund will help supply financial support for future mission projects of the church.
The ELCA's 11,000 congregations will be asked to distribute Vision for Mission materials to every member household on or after May 17, said Olstad.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
