Benevolences Shared!

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.

IMG_1691      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 25th 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.