THRIVENT “GIVING PLUS” PROGRAM –Thrivent will no longer offer the present “Giving Plus” Matching program next year. So, if you have not made use of this program in 2009, please take advantage of it ASAP. There is only “x” amount of money left this year that Thrivent will match. When it is all gone, that is the end of it.
St. Peter Cares December Newsletter
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GJ - By depending on Thrivent, the synods have not grown richer - they have impoverished themselves. Ditto Schwan funds. Rock and Roll got $20,000 from the Antioch Foundation this year (not the $200,000 they wanted) and they still only have one web page.
Unfortunately, all the Thrivent-dependent parishes have prostituted themselves, constantly advertising one particular brand of insurance to get "free" napkins, "free" pastoral calendars, and token grants. Now their little lifelines are being pulled back.
No one seems to realize that outside money displaces giving rather than adding to it.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Good News from Thrivent":
Giving Plus is already exhausted.
https://www.thrivent.com/community/outreach/giving/givingplus/index.html
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GivingPlus® Program
Note: Funds for the 2009 GivingPlus® program have been fully disbursed, resulting in more than $67 million to Lutheran organizations from Thrivent Financial and its members. The program is over for 2009, and it will not be continued in 2010. View details on the change, including information on a new giving program called Thrivent Choice to be introduced in the spring of 2010. Interested in learning more about the upcomingThrivent Choice program? Sign up for monthly email updates.
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5 comments:
Giving Plus is already exhausted.
https://www.thrivent.com/community/outreach/giving/givingplus/index.html
There is good news and bad news with Thrivent discontinuing the GivingPlus program.
It has been reported that WELS elementary schools and high schools have received more from the GivingPlus program than received by all other Lutheran synod's combined.
The good news is that this will help WELS churches and schools realize they need to fund their own ministries.
The bad news is that these monies will now go to more liberal causes in the LC-MS and especially in the ELCA. This is part of the total liberalization taking place within Thrivent.
As one looks at the merger of LB and AAL to form the Lutheran BAAL (LB+AAL=L BAAL) called Thrivent, it is apparent that the new company kept the inferior LB investors as well as the inferior LB branch or chapter system. As predicted, only conservative Lutherans would lose in the merger as the proceeds from their policies would be diverted to liberal causes.
First Thrivent did away with its scholarship program and now the GivingPlus program, both of which were used for Lutheran education. It is clear that they have no love for Christian education. As one looks at the causes Thrivent now supports, it is evident that they are in total sympathy with the Shrinker mentality. How many liberal symposiums, seminars, and ministries have been supported with Thrivent dollars?
At this point, Thrivent would be better off forgetting about being "fraternal" and start paying taxes. The government would do no worse job spending Thrivent's profits, it would allow Thrivent to cut its work force, and it would free Lutherans from the burden of the Lutheran Baal. These advantages outweigh the disadvantages of keeping Thrivent a "fraternal" gnat buzzing around the ears of worshipers in the Lutheran church.
What will they do for money now?
Turn to the one religious organization who will have it.
As LCMS DP Benke said to the Antichrist, "Holy Father, I am most privileged to represent the (insert your synod name here)and its members."
Then I believe the phrase is, "Forgive me Father for I have sinned...can I get a grant"
"Do you denounce Luther and Justification by faith alone?"
"Yes Father, we did that long ago."
"Here is $(insert your amount here) and the keys to the car. Just be back in time for Judgement Day."
Some lady died and gave the bulk of her money to the LCMS seminaries for tuition assistance. However, the interest will only provide $30,000 per seminary. That doesn't sound like much when tuition costs is $16 or $18 grand per student! Also, it seems like the seminaries are a day late a dollar short in building up endowments and financial aid coming only after their net student bodies have shrunk and tuition skyrocketed:
http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=8506
excerpt: Each seminary received approximately $1.24 million which, as invested funds, will provide approximately $60,000 annually for tuition assistance to students preparing for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
I haven't heard of Thrivent helping the LCMS or WELS seminaries out much, but here the ELCA Luther Seminary in St. Paul has a whole Thrivent dept:
Thrivent Reformation Research Program:
http://www.luthersem.edu/story/story_article.asp?article_id=99&issue_id=12
http://staupitz.luthersem.edu/contact_us.htm
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