Are you still wondering about joining the Thrive campaign? Here is another no-obligation opportunity to learn more about what Thrive means for your congregation and our Synod:
THRIVE! CONGREGATION LEADER TRAINING
Tuesday, March 24th
St. Paul’s, Newark
67 N 5th St, Newark
6:30-8:30 p.m.
The training is for appointed campaign Congregation Leaders, but also for pastors, Stewardship Teams and Council members who want to know more about Thrive in order to make an informed decision about participating.
To register, send an email to Thrive@SouthernOhioSynod.org and include:
If the Newark event does not fit your schedule, please contact Thrive Campaign Manager, Pastor Larry Donner, at Thrive@SouthernOhioSynod.org to arrange for an alternate training opportunity.
And remember! A Thrive Campaign Manual, along with the knowledge you will gain on how to conduct special appeals campaign for your congregation’s own needs, will be yours to keep no matter what, so contact Larry about the training now!
If your congregation is currently running a Thrive campaign or has scheduled a campaign for later this year, please be sure to notify Pastor Larry Donner, the Thrive Campaign Manager, of the start and end dates for your campaign so that he may provide support. Please send the dates to him at Thrive@SouthernOhioSynod.com.
Please also be sure you have completed the following online fillable forms:
Congregation Leader Appointment Form
Thank you for your cooperation!
Seven congregations have now completed Thrive campaigns, all of which have surpassed their goals, and several more churches are in the midst of campaigns. Synod-wide commitments to Thrive as of March 1st (including non-binding goals, individual and other gifts, and designated gifts from other sources) now total over $580,000. Thanks to all those who are supporting the Thrive campaign so generously! Read further to see how your support is already making a difference.
Thrive is already making a difference for our congregations! Here’s how:
The 2-year training program helps congregations develop their mission and ministries, as well as their stewardship. The training helped one congregation increase its income by over $100,000 and another by over $65,000. For more information, contact Pastor Katie Kerrigan, Director for Evangelical Mission, at the synod office.
Be on the lookout for more information as we move forward on these and other goals of the Thrive Campaign, all propelled by your generosity.
Regular Mission Support is money sent by congregations to the Southern Ohio Synod to support the Mission and Ministry Plan of the Synod and, by extension, the ELCA, which receives 40% of any unrestricted Regular Mission Support (RMS) the Synod receives. Synod budgets are based on anticipated RMS income during any one fiscal year. For example, the 2020-21 Mission and Ministry Plan budget, approved at the recent 2019 Assembly, is $1,850,000 and is based on anticipated receipts during the 2020-21 fiscal year.
RMS provides funding for:
Additionally, RMS funds budgeted ministry programs of the Synod, such as:
Thrive! Equipping a Vibrant Church Together is a 3-year mission campaign running from January 2020 through December 2022. Income to Thrive will come through commitments made by individuals, congregations and/or other organizations that are over and above Regular Mission Support.
All donations to Thrive will be collected, maintained and accounted for separately from Regular Mission Support. Consequently, Thrive income will not be part of any year’s synod budget. Rather, it will be put toward the five goals of the Thrive campaign:
Thrive, therefore, helps fulfill the Synod’s vision by covering initiatives not funded through Regular Mission Support. Additionally, since participating in the Thrive campaign will both teach effective stewardship practices to congregations and develop planned giving programs, it is expected that offerings given to congregations will increase, which will in turn enable congregations to increase their RMS to the Synod. Thus, Thrive provides a sustainable model for the mission of the Synod in years to come, so that we will be Stronger and Better Together: Joining Jesus in the Restoration of the World.