Introduction: The Mission Endowment Fund at Good Shepherd, established in 1994, is intended for grants and scholarships for students attending ELCA colleges and universities or Valparaiso, an independent Lutheran university. Only 4% of the market value of the fund is available annually for distribution.
Current Need: The Mission Endowment Fund Committee has concluded that the allowed fund distribution will not meet the need of future eligible scholarship and grant applications. Thus, the Committee has launched an initiative to invite generosity to support this fund.
The Good Shepherd Mission Endowment Fund is offering EPIC (Educational Partners in Covenant) Scholarships to congregational members who are enrolled full-time at an ELCA college or university during the 2023-2024 school year. These scholarships are available to new and continuing undergraduate students attending an ELCA affiliated college or university. The EPIC Scholarships are usually matched by the participating ELCA college or university, fully or partially, depending on the policies of the ELCA institution. A pdf of the application form is here and may be printed off or a copy may be requested from the church office. Epic Scholarship Application
Those Good Shepherd members wishing to advance their church related education or leadership skills may also be eligible for a Mission Endowment Grant. An example of projects and ministries that may be funded include, but are not limited to members pursuing deacon-deaconess training. A pdf of the application form is here and may be printed off or a copy may be requested from the church office. Mission Endowment Grant Application
The applications for either the EPIC Scholarship or an Endowment Grant must be received at the church office on or before May 1. The Good Shepherd Mission Endowment Committee will meet to review the applications and make the awards during the month of May. Because of the funds 4 percent limit and the growing number of requests, it is possible that awards will vary from year to year.
Good Shepherd EPIC scholarships are in the amount of $1000 each. 2023-2024 Good Shepherd EPIC recipients include: Ava Holland, Mara Holland, Nate Larson, Annalise Skrade, Daniel Skrade.
Giving: Good Shepherd members recognize the opportunity to give a gift that keeps giving because investment returns magnify the impact of original gifts. Just as annual stewardship giving is a chance to return to God a portion of our annual income, contributions to the endowment fund provide a means to share the accumulated gifts which God has given us as support for Good Shepherd’s mission and ministry to ELCA students.
If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Mission Endowment Fund, you can either write a check to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church with MEF in the memo line, or use Tithe.ly Online Giving and enter MEF in the note/memo box.
You can also make contributions to the Good Shepherd Mission Endowment Fund in your will, establish a charitable trust, gift real estate, or designate life insurance policies with the MEF as the primary or partial beneficiary. Direct gifts of stocks, bonds, or real and personal property may be given as an excellent method of supporting ELCA students.
To learn more, please contact the office at 563-382-3963 or office@goodshepherddecorah.org
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