Where Do Our Lenten and Easter Gifts Go?

All funds received at Lenten Wednesday night services are directed to Lenten offerings unless otherwise directed. Similarly, funds received on Easter Sunday are counted as Easter offerings. All loose offerings (bills and coins) received during weekend services are added to the Lenten and Easter offerings. The Congregation Council has selected Path to Citizenship and ELCA World Hunger as the recipients of our local and global Lenten and Easter offerings.

Path to Citizenship is a northeast Iowa organization of faith groups, including Good Shepherd, whose mission is to support a United Methodist Immigration Ministry that brings immigration lawyers to Decorah each quarter and offers legal services to clients at no charge.   ELCA World Hunger is an ELCA project that provides immediate relief to the 1 in 8 people in the world who are hungry. It aims to accomplish long-term sustainable change by connecting people with the resources they need to produce food and gain access to clean water, education, health care and sources of income.

      Offerings for the Sunday School Lenten project, are kept separately and targeted for that project in Rwanda. Donations can be dropped into the doctor’s bag near the altar during the offering time at weekend services.

Other Recent Benevolences

 Good Shepherd has recently received thank you notes for its mission support beyond the congregation for synodical and worldwide ministries connected to the ELCA. A total of $3,260.50 was donated to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) as the culmination of its 25^th anniversary celebration outreach project while $23,000.00 was sent to the Northeastern Iowa Synod to complete the benevolence budgeted by the congregation for 2014.

The LED LIGHTING INITIATIVE is on the fast track. President Jim Fritz presented details about the INITIATIVE to the Council for approval at the February meeting and to the congregation through its email list and March newsletter. The goal is for ‘re-lamping’ to be completed by April 1, 2015. The result will be a complete change-over to LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights for all interior and exterior lighting at Good Shepherd!

Total cost of the INITIATIVE is $14,000. The $6,000 goal of the FUND DRIVE will fund a substantial portion; rebates, a grant, and budget lines will provide additional funds. Contributions to the FUND will allow Good Shepherd to ‘shine its light’ by turning on better, brighter, and more energy-efficient lights throughout its facilities and future maintenance will be reduced dramatically. Contribution or pledge intents are welcome by April 1, 2015.

This initiative is a strong, viable statement of Good Shepherd’s stewardship of our energy and fiscal resources.

 Additional details about the LED LIGHTING INITIATIVE, the FUND DRIVE and CONTRIBUTION/PLEDGE FORM can be found by checking “Give” link under the Serve/Give tab on the website and in the March 2015 Newsletter.

Jim Fritz, congregation president, and Jon Christy, Anniversary Committee co-chair, recently presented Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s donation of $915.00 to Bill Deutsch, of the Decorah Community Free Clinic at First Lutheran Church. In the fall of 2013, Good Shepherd established a Gift Fund as part of its “A Celebration Of Gathering: 25^th Anniversary Of the Expansion of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s Building and Mission”. A significant portion of the Fund was designated for local and global Mission Outreach endeavors. The Free Clinic was chosen as the local area agency and in the spring of 2014, Good Shepherd’s first contribution of $4,822.00 was presented.