LCMS-WELS-ELS-ELCA: Your Thrivent Dollars at Work, Melting Down the "Lutherans" with Brimstone and Fire

Luther Seminary Preacher Compares Herself to Jeremiah, Says We Must Repent of Climate Catastrophe, Anti-Trans Laws, and Banning Books

 5 hours ago Staff Writer

"The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the vilest denominations in America. Pro-homosexuality, pro-choice, and certainly anti-Jesus, it’s populated by spiritually decrepit senior citizens and virtue-twerking LGBTQ twenty-somethings. Less than 1% of the congregants in the denomination are saved, as you can only submit to a satanic pastor for so long without getting a little demonic yourself.

We’ve written about them before, in Lutheran Pastor Promotes Hookups, Polyamory, and Premarital Sex
, ELCA Leader in a Polyamorous/’Ethically Non-Monogamous’ Relationship, the time where After Annual Meeting, Lutheran Leadership+ Pastors Celebrate in Gay Bar, in Transgender Lutheran Pastrix Compares the Death of Trans Shooter to the Crucifixion of Jesus and lastly ELCA Church Recites Blasphemous ‘Sparkle Creed’ + ‘I believe in the non-binary God whose pronouns are plural’."

During Luther Seminary’s June 20 chapel service, preacher Anna Ferro, who works as a community fellow with the Student Affairs office while she awaits her first call, gave a message on Jeremiah 20: 1-6. In this reading, Pashur, the official in charge of the temple, hears Jeremiah prophesying doom and gloom and, beats him and throws him in jail, causing Jeremiah to tell him his new name is ‘Terror on Every Side.’

What is Habitat? - Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity

What is Habitat? - Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity:

What is Habitat?

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Q: What is Habitat for Humanity International?

A: Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HFHI seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need. Habitat has built more than 500,000 houses around the world, providing more than 2 million people with safe, decent, affordable shelter. HFHI was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller along with his wife, Linda.

Q: How does it work?

A: Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses. Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor—sweat equity—into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.

Q: What are Habitat affiliates?

A: Affiliates are community-level Habitat offices that act in partnership with and on behalf of HFHI. Each affiliate coordinates all aspects of Habitat homebuilding in its local area. Habitat for Humanity International’s operational headquarters, located in Americus, Georgia, USA, and its administrative headquarters, located in Atlanta, Georgia, provide information, training and a variety of other support services to Habitat affiliates worldwide. All Habitat affiliates are asked to "tithe"—to give 10 percent of their contributions to fund house-building work in other nations. Tithing provides much-needed funds for international building, and it also gives affiliates the opportunity to demonstrate the spirit of Christian partnership. In 2001, U.S. affiliates tithed $9.04 million to support Habitat’s work overseas. Some affiliates in developing countries also receive funding grants from Habitat for Humanity International.

Q: Where does Habitat for Humanity operate?

A: Habitat is a worldwide, grassroots movement. Habitat has a presence in more than 90 countries, including all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.

Q: How are the partner families selected?

A: Families in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate’s family selection committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the loan. Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing the families who receive Habitat houses. If your family, or a family you know, is in need of decent, affordable housing, contact the Habitat affiliate nearest you. If you're not sure where a local Habitat affiliate might be, visit Habitat's website to find the names and phone numbers of affiliates in your area, or contact the Habitat help line at 800-422-4828, ext. 2551 or 2552. Your local affiliate can give you information on the availability, size, costs and sweat-equity requirements for Habitat houses in your area, as well as information on the application process.

Q: How are donations distributed and used?

A: Donations, whether to a local Habitat affiliate or to HFHI, are used as designated by the donor. Gifts received by HFHI that are designated to a specific affiliate or building project are forwarded to that affiliate or project. Undesignated gifts are used where most needed and for administrative expenses. HFHI’s most recent audited financial statement is available online.

Q: Who controls and manages Habitat for Humanity International?

A: An ecumenical, international board of directors determines policy and oversees and guides the mission of Habitat for Humanity International. Board members are dedicated volunteers who are deeply concerned about the problems of poverty housing around the world. The HFHI headquarters office operates with an administrative staff, assisted by a core group of professional and support employees and supplemented by long-term and short-term volunteers. Each Habitat for Humanity affiliate is managed by its own local volunteer board.

Q: How does Habitat work with the government?

A: Habitat realizes that local and national partnerships with governments are important in creating affordable housing. Habitat accepts government funds for infrastructure, utilities, capacity building or training, and house building, so long as the funds have no conditions that would violate Habitat’s principles or limit its ability to proclaim its Christian identity.

Q: How does a Habitat for Humanity affiliate get started?

A: Habitat affiliates start when concerned citizens of diverse backgrounds come together to address the problem of poverty housing in their community. These volunteers research the community’s affordable housing needs and resources, and evaluate the potential success of Habitat’s self-help model in their community. The group then applies to HFHI to become an official Habitat affiliate. If you are interested in eliminating poverty housing in your community, please contact HFHI headquarters for information on establishing a Habitat affiliate. Persons calling from inside the United States can call (800) HABITAT or (800) 422-4828. Those calling from outside the United States may contact HFHI headquarters at 01-229-924-6935.

Q: How can I get more information?

A: For additional information, write or phone: Habitat for Humanity International 121 Habitat Street Americus, GA 31709-3498 U.S.A. 229-924-6935 Contact Habitat for Humanity International

'via Blog this'

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Thrivent Financial commits $9.2 million to Habitat for Humanity

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ total contributions to Habitat over seven years exceed $160 million

MINNEAPOLIS (Dec. 5, 2011) – For the seventh straight year, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is committing millions to stabilize, strengthen and secure communities by creating affordable housing in partnership with low-income families through its unique partnership called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans announced that in 2012 it will fund the construction and rehabilitation of 142 Habitat for Humanity homes in 32 U.S. states through a $9.2 million contribution. Thrivent Financial’s total seven-year support of Habitat for Humanity, helping families achieve the dream of homeownership, will surpass $160 million in 2012.

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GJ - Remember that $160 million figure when your congregation gets a check for $136.44 for sponsoring a Thrivent Branch #234 Junk for Jesus rummage sale, putting a Thrivent PR ad in the newsletter and bulletin.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "What is Habitat? - Thrivent Builds with Habitat fo...":

Thrivent is using (W)ELS, LCMS and ELCA money to advance the United Nations New World Order religion under the United Religions Initiative.

MONEY & SOUL. In our culture, more of anything and everything is considered better. Join us for a provocative evening of re-examining our relationship to money. Lynne Twist, Author of The Soul of Money and Founder of The Pachamama Alliance will join in conversation with Charles Gibbs, Executive Director of URI. Lynne Twist's extensive work as a worldwide fundraiser offers unique perspectives on the purpose of money and its use in the community. When infused with expressions of our heart and soul, our money and its use can become a truly meaningful part of our lives and communities. Lynne & Charles will discuss the intersection of money and spirit as a rich and fertile place, suggesting new ways for giving and receiving money in the social-profit arena. Dessert, coffee and tea will follow. Tuesday, September 13, 2011, 7:00 - 9:00 pm, Presidio Main Post Interfaith Chapel. RSVP to Erica Ernst at ebernst.sfic@gmail.com or call (415) 474 - 1321 $20 Suggested Donation Sponsored by: Interfaith Center at the Presidio The Presidio Trust San Francisco Interfaith Council Thrivent Financial for Lutherans United Religions Initiative
http://www.interfaith-presidio.org/BAIC/baic11.htm

United Religions Initiative (URI) is a satanic binding of all world religions into one mandatory religion.

URI was started by Episcopal bishop Swing:
The Right Rev. William E. Swing
URI Founding Trustee
San Francisco, CA, USA.

Bishop William Swing is the President and Founder of the URI. Bishop Swing had the original vision of URI in 1993 in response to an invitation from the United Nations which asked him to host an interfaith service honoring the 50th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter.

For a thorough review of the satanic New World Religion which Thrivent and the Lutheran Synods are creating:
http://www.green-agenda.com/unitedfaith.html

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "What is Habitat? - Thrivent Builds with Habitat fo...":

Bishop Swing promotes the same transformational religion as the New Age Emergent leaders in the Lutheran Synods. (Why not, since Thrivent is leading the eager Lutherans by the nose - Change or Die)

As suggested by Swing, the United Religions Initiative is intended to be to religion what the United Nations has become to global politics, unifying the world’s religions as the UN is unifying the world’s nations. Bishop Swing confirmed these plans, "The URI will be a spiritual United Nations. And what better place to give it birth than the Bay Area, which gave birth to the present UN."

Bishop Swing also states, "The URI will offer the world a powerful new vision of hope - the vision that the deepest stories we know can now cease to be causes of separation between people, and become instead the foundation for a reunited humanity. Religions need the URI. Bombs are exploding in the name of God in cities throughout the world, religious persecution is more prevalent now than ever before, religious extremists are demanding and obtaining nuclear weapons, and still there is no neutral arena where all of the religions can engage each other. The URI, in time, aspires to have the visibility and stature of the United Nations. It will have global visibility and will be a vital presence in local communities all over the world."

The United Nations has granted the URI official ‘liaison status’, which means that in return for UN financial support the URI will “co-operate closely with the U.N. and its organisations to complement the U.N.’s political, diplomatic and social mandates, influence U.N. policy and support its programs.” At a recent UN-sponsored Interfaith Conference, Bishop Swing issued a challenge for a new global civilisation, “We stand on the threshold of a new world order that may be defined either by an increasing polarisation that fuels a spiral of escalating conflict and violence, or by growing global cooperation that calls the human race to work across national, ethnic and religious boundaries to serve a larger global good.”

Bishop Swing recently apologised for two millennia of Christian evangelism. His apology not limited to ‘religious violence’ committed by Christians, it also includes regret for "proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of all" and for seeking "to make the whole world Christian". The URI strongly condemns all forms of religious fundamentalism; in fact the need for a new spirituality is often based on the intolerant attitude of evangelical Christians and radical Muslims’. Swing states “Because some day, the ascendancy of militant fundamentalist voices of politically aspiring religions might be so pervasive that a United Religions will need to be created in order to save religions from these fundamentalists.”

The URI arose out of, and is the culmination of, the interfaith movement that began with the 1893 Parliament of World Religions. It is inextricably tied to the quest for a new spirituality that would unify the planet in a ‘transformed global society’. The URI is the fullest expression of this movement now. The current model of unity in diversity will characterise the United Religions Initiative for a while. However, the final phase of the Global Green Spiritual Agenda will be the "full end to the great heresy of separateness."

The final green religion will be the blending of all religions into one unified expression of spirituality based on reverence for our shared planet and human interconnectedness with all living beings. No doubt anyone one who refuses to accept this new spirituality will be labelled an intolerant radical fundamentalist. In the wake of an earth-shattering crisis, such as the one described in A United World, ‘fundamentalists’ are likely to be blamed for all the world’s problems. A new world religion, in addition to a new world order, will be gratefully received by most given a crisis of sufficient magnitude.


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Jimmy James has left a new comment on your post "Spare Me the Hosannas about Harrison Testifying in...":

Let us not forget Thrivent's ties to Planned Parenthood!

Karoline “Kari” Gittus, Thrivent - Dakota Valley Board Member, proudly displays as her "Benevolent Interests and Personal Passions": PLANNED PARENTHOOD!

http://www.lutheransonline.com/servlet/lo_ProcServ/dbpage=page&mode=display&gid=20101264872858903701111555&pg=20101264872865637701111555

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Goodsoil, LNCA, and Thrivent

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California wrote:

Brett Meyer does a good job of putting into perspective the New World Religion Agenda which Thrivent and Lutheran Synods are creating.  His account of UN complicity it well taken.  Commenting that "Thrivent is leading the eager Lutherans by the nose--Change or Die", it should be recognized that the "leading" is finding followers of a well tilled mind set in WELS which has been prepared for thirty five years to think favorably of the UN.

A letter to the editor in Christian News (January 3, 1977) documented  from The Lutheran Educator  (December 1972-page 16) "UNESCO's being  recommended as a good source for social studies material".  The letter documented thirteen signs of beginnings of Humanism in WELS.  In a subsequent letter in Christian News, the writer of the original letter was taken to task by Prof. Joel Gerlach of WELS Seminary, as espousing "invalid conclusions".  The groundwork has been laid for decades to accommodate UN agenda while warnings were rebuffed.

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ChurchMouse is one of the few bloggers who
is willing to address these issues.
He has two links on the left:
one solo and one joint effort.

churchmousec (http://churchmousec.wordpress.com/) has left a new comment on your post "What is Habitat? - Thrivent Builds with Habitat fo...":

Hello, everyone!

We're so Neanderthal in not climbing on board here! ;)

The line about UNESCO reminded me of my schooldays, when the UN popped up frequently in social studies class. The nuns loved it: 'This is about the UN, boys and girls -- the United Nations!'

As one lay teacher explained to me a couple of years ago: 'We didn't know then; it was all new and exciting.' She's such a good person (and conservative), as were the nuns (tho less conservative), but I think of all the thousands of kids they taught and how most of us hung on every word.

UN = a lot of good work for humanity.

We also all had the UNICEF trick or treat boxes for Hallowe'en (back in the late 1960s). Did we use them and hand them back in the next day with lots of loose change we'd collected? Yes. 'We didn't know then; it was all new and exciting.'

About Pachamama, I wrote a post on this last year which briefly addresses the business, religious and social aspects of this goddess's movement:

http://churchmousec.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/the-church-of-gaia-where-pachamama-and-industry-meet/

As for the religious bit, you'll see Roman Catholic nuns, Fordham University and Augsburg Fortress are waxing lyrical.

Also, Bron Taylor -- with an MA in Religious Ethics from Fuller (he teaches Religion and Nature at the University of Florida) says:

'a terrapolitan earth religion (or civil earth religion) is beginning to emerge, which is promoting kinship ethics ...'

(More at the link.)

Churchmouse

Shakespeare (Oxford) said: "A Little Pot Is Soon Hot"

"Buying Thrivent is an important step in building a foundation for my financial future.
Phone us for free napkins, paper cups, calendars, and flower charts."

Paul T. McCain (Ptmccain) Member Username: Ptmccain Post Number: 111 Registered: 4-2009

Posted on Saturday, June 25, 2011 - 1:02 pm:    I checked in again recently over at Ickybog, Greg Jackson's ranting forum. The guy who runs a congregation out of a bedroom in his house, consecrating elements over the Internet for his little cult really can't handle any kind of criticism. Which is ironic since he is consumed by hate and anger and blasts everyone/anyone in a manner that, frankly, would quality him for some kind of mental health ward. But it makes for some really entertaining reading. He makes LutherQueasy look positively docile.

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GJ - If Paul obtained a humor transplant from an actuary, it would still be an improvement. Or he could consider what Missouri's Francis Pieper wrote:

"Let us learn more and more to look upon the Lutheran Church with the right kind of spiritual eyes: it is the most beautiful and glorious Church; for it is adorned with God's pure Word. This adornment is so precious, that even though an orthodox congregation were to consist of very poor people - let us say nothing but woodchoppers - and met in a barn (as the Lord Christ also lay here on earth in a barn, on hay and straw), every Christian should much, much rather prefer to affiliate himself with this outwardly so insignificant congregation, rather than with a heterodox congregation, even if its members were all bank presidents and assembled in a church built of pure marble. Let us be sure that our flesh, and the talk of others does not darken the glory of the orthodox Church, or crowd it out of our sight."
Francis Pieper, The Difference between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 47.

Thrivent Uses Your Money To Send Candidates to ELCA Seminary

Janesville

Janesville couple 'Aware of the call'

By CATHERINE IDZERDA ( Contact )   Monday, Dec. 28, 2009

EMAIL

Photo

Dave Nelsestuen

Photo

Lisa Konzen

Dave Nelsestuen’s background includes expertise in the insurance and financial industries, organizational dynamics and team leadership.
Lisa Konzen’s background includes highly developed communication skills, experience with nonprofits and an understanding of families struggling with suffering and loss.
Here’s what they have in common: Both entered Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, at midlife.
Why start over again in such a difficult profession?
Both pastors and seminarians say it’s not about a job; it’s about a call.
“Some people are older before they became aware of the call in their lives,” said the Rev. Steven Ekblad of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Janesville. “But many times, they’ve always known the call was there, but couldn’t do it.”
Roped in, midlife
Nelsestuen, 53, and his wife, Mary, live in Janesville and have two grown daughters. For 32 years, he worked for the Lutheran Brotherhood, which later became Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
“I had a very successful career there,” Nelsestuen said. “But about six or seven years ago, I started getting restless.”
He had been active in his church, Faith Lutheran of Janesville, serving on committees and councils, taking classes and working with church-sponsored ministries and camps.
He was so involved people sometimes jokingly called him “Pastor Dave.”
A few years ago, he signed up for the Lay School of Ministry through the South Central Synod of the Lutheran Church.
He considered keeping his business and becoming a part-time lay minister.
At one point, a church official said, “Why don’t you go to seminary?”
This spring, he’ll graduate. He hopes to find work in southern Wisconsin or northern Illinois.
“I think everything that’s happened in my life was preparing me for this,” Nelsestuen said. “I think God’s had a rope around me for years, and now he’s pulling it in.”
Family first
Konzen, 43, of Janesville has been dealing with her “call” since she was a child.
“When I was little, I would bring home the misselette, scrounge up some grape juice and some of those ice cream cones with the flat bottoms for wafers and perform the mass for my Barbie dolls,” said Konzen, who was raised Roman Catholic.
She toyed with becoming a nun, but during her adolescence, she began to question the tenets of the Catholic faith and eventually left the church.
She attended a Baptist college, where she majored in English and minored in biblical languages.
“I had a strong sense of being called to do something,” Konzen said.
Instead of being called to ministry, she was called home to Janesville to care for her parents.
“Dad had diabetes, and for a long while, he had it under control,” Konzen said. “But then he had to have dialysis—that’s three times a week for three to four hours each time.”
During this time, she and her parents found a new spiritual home in the Lutheran church.
“I told my parents, ‘We’ll give this one try,’” Konzen said. “We landed at Good Shepard, and I finally felt like all the pieces had been put into place.”
Her father eventually ended up at Beloit Health and Rehab—as did her mother, after she had a heart attack.
“Taking care of him and Mom, I knew I was needed where I was,” Konzen said. “I didn’t see it as anything heroic. I got as much out of the relationship as they did.”
Her father died from pneumonia in June 2006, and her mother died three months later. She didn’t want to make any serious decisions while she was grieving for her parents.
She also was a little afraid—afraid of making the right choice, afraid of the challenges of a new life and afraid of life’s practicalities.
In September, Konzen started seminary.
“The fear doesn’t go away. It morphs into excitement,” Konzen said. “It’s going to be hard, but it’s going to be good.”
Both rookie and veteran
Becoming a new pastor in your 40s or 50s has some advantages.
“What’s powerful about this is that they’ve had a whole bunch of time to think through what matters and what doesn’t,” Ekblad said.
At the same time, pastors used to the pace of the business world will be startled to find how small changes in church routines can cause major upsets.
“You cannot let your feelings become the focus,” Ekblad said. “And you’ll be more effective if you don’t have an ego problem.”
The key to success?
“Try to get out of the way and let Christ’s light shine through you,” Ekblad said.

Not a PhotoShop - Your Lutheran Dollars at Work, Supporting the Salvation Army Church

The Pierce-St. Croix Chapter of Thrivent for Lutherans recently presented area Salvation Army director Duana Bremer, center, with a $1,600 donation from their Care Abound Community Fund to be used in the Moola for Milk campaign. Submitted photo.


River Falls Journal

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The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ

The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church with its own distinctive governance and practice. Its doctrine follows the mainstream of Christian belief and its articles of faith emphasise (sic) God’s saving purposes.

The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ is an ecclesiological statement published by Salvation Books, International Headquarters. In his foreword General Clifton says of this short publication: 'It will be especially useful to those of us who are actively engaged in ecumenical relations and can readily be shared with others beyond our ranks if this will be an aid to mutual understanding. The Statement is not intended to say new things, but its purpose is to clarify and consolidate present global thinking on our identity within the wider Body of Christ.'

Thrivent and Habitat for Humanity

Left click on the photo for the hidden message and a photo of President James Earl Carter.

A note about recruiting in WELS congregations

As a Chapter Specialist, one of the greatest roles you serve is recruiting Congregational Champions and other volunteers for the Thrivent Builds Homes program. Please be aware that although Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)leaders commend the charitable work being done through the Thrivent Builds program, they consider involvement with Habitat for Humanity inconsistent with WELS fellowship principles.

For that reason the WELS Council of Presidents is discouraging its congregations from involvement in Thrivent Builds. Because of this, we ask that you refrain from targeting WELS congregations and recruiting WELS members for Congregational Champion roles. If you would like more information, visit www.thriventbuilds.com/resources and select Quick Reference Guides from the Search tools.



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http://www.thriventbuilds.com/partnership/thrivent/index.html

http://www.thriventbuilds.com/partnership/habitat/index.html

http://www.thriventbuilds.com/resources/homes/files/22794L-ChapterSpecialistWelcomeLetter.pdf

Now why would WELS/WELS members want to continue any relationship with Thrivent? 2010 is another big year for Thrivent/Habitat. There are WELS congregations actively participating in this ecumenical endeavor...even after the COP has advised against participation. Thrivent monies also go to support the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army is a CHURCH that is not even Lutheran. Beliefs? Check them out? http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-dynamic-index/CE33D354A0544F368025732500314AF5?Opendocument