Benevolent Giving

• (April, 2007) About 31 Easter baskets filled with personal care items and cleaning supplies were delivered to Olmsted County Social Services for distribution to needy families. The Seventh grade class designed individual Easter greetings from GSLC.
• (February, 2007) Polar Bear Plunge to benefit The Francis raised our goal of $1500. Fifteen chili recipes were judged. Music was provided by Steve Schmidt. These winners took the plunge into about a foot and a half of water with the air temperature struggling to reach zero degrees. Pastor Dave, Paul Evers, Kaylie Evers, Paul Mainz, Jim Johnson, Tim Fynskov, Jeff Brown. Photo evidence
• (April, 2006) An informational display in the Narthex, highlights Church Women United efforts to send solar cooking ovens to developing countries. Over half (52%) of the trees cut globally are for cooking fires, and solar ovens can provide a partial solution to this problem. If you would be interested in donating to this cause, just note on your check to GSLC that you would like the money designated to Church Women United.
• Our offerings go to Christ's mission and ministry, both in Rochester and beyond. In 2004, $3400 from the "Other Relief" line on your offering envelope was given to ELCA Disaster Relief for Florida hurricanes. In 2005, the money so given will go again to ELCA Disaster Relief, e.g. for the Tsunami and Hurricane Kristina relief.
• ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, working with our Lutheran Disaster Response partners, is caring for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Thrivent members can have their gift supplemented.
• Each month we donate to a different charity through Change for Change.
• In 2006, benevolence of $42,352 to and through our South East Minnesota synod went to the wider work of the church for college and prison chaplains, Lutheran Social Services, Bible camps, Bishops, missionaries, new congregation starts, seminaries, communication, and Sunday School curriculum development.
• Channel One - Cash gifts in 2006 were $15,613. Remember to bring a food item for Channel One when you come to church. It’s a good habit.
• Habitat for Humanity
• Cash gifts to Interfaith Hospitality Network were $1923 in 2006.
• During the Christmas season, a tree in the narthex provides opportunities to buy gifts for clients of Circle Center and Crisis Nursery.
• In 2006, GSLC donated $2000 to Good Earth Village, $1175 to Rainbow Preschool, and $1500 to Seminary Student Aid.
• Crop Walk in October
• Sunday School offerings go to a different international charity each year.

Relief organizations associated with or directed by the ELCA

•  World Hunger Program is the way the ELCA addresses chronic hunger and poverty around the world and here in the United States. The ELCA supports "partner organizations" that carry out international relief and development on the ELCA's behalf with grants from money raised by the World Hunger Appeal. All funds raised are from designated offerings and gifts, none from general benevolence. Only 7 cents of every dollar donated to the World Hunger Appeal is spent on administrative costs. GSC averages about $18,000/year from your gifts designated on line 3 of the offering envelope. Cash gifts in 2006 were $21,052.

• Lutheran World Relief acts on behalf of U.S. Lutherans, the ELCA, and the The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) as a common expression of our faith through international relief and development. LWR works with partners in 50 countries to help people grow food, improve health, strengthen communities, end conflict, build livelihoods and recover from disasters.
• Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is a collaborative ministry of the ELCA and LCMS. Following a major domestic disaster, LDR seeks to minister to the urgent needs of the people affected through hardship grants, volunteer coordination, spiritual and emotional care, and long-term recovery efforts.
• During international disasters, the ELCA relies on partnerships around the globe, providing financial aid to help trusted organizations best address the problems and minister to the people with which they are intimately familiar. ELCA International Disaster Response is a member of Action by Churches Together (ACT), a network of relief agencies and churches that deal with disasters. Funds are usually channeled through the ACT network.

We share our building with these groups

• AA Rule 62 (Thursday 7:30 pm)
• Boy Scouts Troop 80 (Thursdays 6:30 pm)
• La Leche League (Third Tuesday of the Month, 7:00 pm and Fourth Friday 9:30 am)
• Rochester Kennel Club (Second Monday of the Month, 6:00 pm)
• Lucky Charms 4-H club (One Sunday a month at 4:00 pm)
• Cub Scouts Pack 80 leaders (Second Tuesday 6:30 pm)
• Cub Scouts Pack 80 (Fourth Tuesday 7:00 pm)
• Girl Scout Brownie Troop 100 (Tuesday 5:30 pm)
• Cub Pack 121 leaders (Second Tuesday 7:00 pm)
• Rochester Pipes & Drums
• Homeschool Teen Coop
• Pack 80 Den 2
• Quilting group (Third Saturday 9:00 am)
• Support & Recovery
• Christian Kindergarten. Call Marcia Frye for information. (252-8187)

Rooms are reserved by filling out an application.

Good Shepherd provided the land for the city neighborhood playground next to church.

Share your time and talents

• Donate to a charity.
• Sign up for Simply Giving. Call the office for a form or print this form. After filling it out, mail it to church instead of the address provided. That's so we can fill in the church code, verify the envelope number, and then check that everything got interpreted correctly when Simply Giving confirms back to us.

• Through the simple choice of where you purchase products such as coffee, tea, baking cocoa, or chocolate, you can help bring social and economic justice to struggling farmers in places like Tanzania, Costa Rica, and Columbia. Fairly traded products share more of the bounty of the crop with the farmers who grow it, thereby helping them break the cycle of poverty. We use this coffee weekly at GSC, and you can buy it at the Good Food Store in Rochester.

   

Global Health Ministries (GHM) is a grassroots movement that provides financial and material support to Lutheran health care mission programs in developing countries.

Our hard-working tellers say, "Please use your offering envelopes" ... to indicate where you want your dollars to go ... there are 5 lines: General Fund, Building Fund, Global Hunger, Local Hunger, Other.