Lenten sacrificial giving

Lent is a time of reflection and sacrifice as we prepare for Easter and the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Here are some ideas for sacrificial giving. Together we can help eliminate the education debt of our pastors and sons of our congregation who are pastors serving our LCMS.

• Do you buy a coffee, pop, or beverage on your way to or from work, school?  How much does that add up to over the 6 weeks of lent? Could you go without during lent and donate those funds?
• Do you have a savings account, CD or Money market account?  Could you donate the interest and dividends that you earn during lent?
• Do you cash in your bottles and cans?  Donate the deposit money.
• Do you work overtime? Can you tithe your overtime pay to the seminary debt retirement?
• Do you have an IRA or 401 K that you are required to take minimum distributions from? Can you donate a tithe of your distribution?
• Did you receive a Christmas bonus?  Can you give a tithe of that?
• Are you trying to lighten up at home? Can you sell items online or have a garage sale and donate some or all of what you make?  This will lighten your load and surely lighten the debt load of these pastors.
• Do you have scrap metal you could cash in to help this cause?
• Could you do odd jobs for your neighbors to earn money to donate?
• Can you offer to do matching funds for whatever the rest of the congregation donates in a given week?
• Have you inherited money? Could you tithe your inheritance?
• Do you gamble?  How much do you donate to the casinos in a six-week period?  Could you donate your play money during lent and not gamble?
• Do you smoke or drink alcohol?  Could you give them up for lent and donate what you would have spent on them to the seminary debt relief?
• How often do you eat out?  How about donating what you spend on meals away from home and eating at home more often?
• Do you love to shop? Do you really need all that stuff? Could you buy only needs during lent, and donate what you would have liked to spend on all those extras?
• What is your cable or dish bill?  Could you go with a lesser package through lent and donate the difference?

Here are a few new ideas for giving:

• Check the board in Gathering Room, pick an envelope $1 - $200, then fill it.
• Tithe your tax return.
• Check the pockets in your closets for money left behind weeks ago.

Please share ideas you think of so we can all do our part.
Together we can eliminate this debt, please pray for God to show you how you can do your part, and then chip in.

Lenten Sacrificial Giving for Seminarian Fund
Our congregation has been blessed with several young men attending seminary and becoming pastors to serve our LCMS.  
One year at seminary is $44,000.00+.  So over 4 years the cost is $132,000.00+, (vicarage year they earn a stipend and don’t pay tuition.)  The seminaries are doing a wonderful job finding partial sponsors for students from all over the country and they give each student as much as they possibly can. I want to thank you all for the support afforded Tim Kern. He is currently debt free, and will be ordained in 2021.
However, Pastor Jason Peterson was ordained in 2006.  13 years later he still shoulders $45,754.52 in student loan debt.  
Pastor Peter Ill was ordained in 2010.  9 years later he is still carrying $44,646.68 of student loan debt.
Pastor Tim Martinal was ordained in 2014.  5 years later he is carrying $44,139.08 in seminary education debt.
We can rejoice with: Pastor Michael Roth was ordained in 1986. He is debt free. Pastor Bruner was ordained in 1991. He is debt free. Pastor Nathan Higgins was ordained in 2002. He is debt free.
The combined student loan debt from these men’s seminary studies is $134,540.28.
My appeal to you is one of moral and fiscal responsibility; I believe we have a responsibility to our pastors & sons of our congregation who serve our LCMS churches as pastors, to assist them in paying down some of this debt.  So, I have come up with a list of ideas for ways we can each do some sacrificial giving during lent. Take a look at the list on the back of this page. Please pray that God will help you and each of us to do our part. Together we can eliminate this debt so these pastors who serve our Lutheran Church Missouri Synod can be relieved of this burden freeing up their energies to serve the Lord with gladness. Again, thank you for the generous support St. Paul has given Tim Kern these past three years. Let’s all be generous and do what we can to help, Pastor Jason Peterson, Pastor Peter Ill and Pastor Tim Martinal.

May God Bless each of you as you ponder your part. Give until it feels good.