Crossing Bridges: Updates of all Kinds!

The figures in the photo above told the story at this year’s synod assembly: $1,857,296. That was the total amount of gifts and pledges that has been received toward the Crossing Bridges mission appeal, according to the Rev. Gary Anderson, director of Crossing Bridges. An additional $12,000 was received in assembly worship offering for Crossing Bridges, bringing the total even higher!

Saint Paul Area Synod Fund for Leaders in Mission
Bishop Rogness announced the establishment of the Saint Paul Area Synod Fund for Leaders in Mission. This scholarship fund has grown out of and is part of the Crossing Bridges mission appeal, but will have impact over a longer period. A leadership circle of 15 individuals and two congregations has launched this fund with a total of $442,500, putting our synod in a position of being able to offer help to our students right away and not have to wait years for the fund to reach a point of significant growth.

The Saint Paul Area Synod Fund for Leaders in Mission is a partnership fund in the ELCA Fund for Leaders. As our scholarship fund increases through gifts and investment growth, a distribution of 4.5 percent of its value will provide tuition support for seminarians from the Saint Paul Area Synod. When the earnings are greater than 4.5 percent, the additional earnings will be reinvested into the Saint Paul Area Synod Fund for Leaders in Mission. The Saint Paul Area Synod is among 24 synods that have established scholarship accounts with the ELCA Fund for Leaders.

Individuals and congregations that wish to be a part of this fund can take maximize their contributions by taking advantage of a special matching gift challenge through the ELCA called Leadership Rising. Leadership Rising is a three-year, $1 million matching gift challenge to congregations and individuals throughout the ELCA to raise up future leaders for the church. For every $2 gift, $1 of the matching funds will be added, increasing the impact of a gift to $3. Individual amounts of up to $50,000 will be matched.

For more information, call the synod office at 651.224.4313.

Second disbursement of Crossing Bridges funds approved by synod council
At its June 12 meeting, the synod council approved the disbursement of funds to each of the four bridges of the mission appeal. Ministries and individuals supported include:

• Bridges to Future Leaders $ 35,000. A total of $5,000 each to the following M.Div. seniors who are making themselves available to a call anywhere in the church: Lynn Erickson, Jodi Houge, Brendan Johnston, Catherine Luehr, Beverly Robinson, Matthew Rose, Heidi Wallace.
• Bridges to New Missions $ 45,000. Pueblo de Esperanza (East Side Latino ministry) $30,000;
  Light of the World (Dakota County) $ 15,000
• Bridges to Ending Poverty $ 60,000. Twelve grants were submitted for consideration by the recommendation table; seven received the available funds.

Daily Work Client Support $10,000 Additional support in assisting unemployed and underemployed people in finding and maintaining living wage employment.

Ministry among Chinese and Asian Pacific Non-English Speaking Women $12,000 Support and resources for Chinese and Asian Pacific women who do not speak sufficient English and face struggles in addressing daily needs.

Children and Youth Ministry for Low Income Chinese Immigrants $10,000 Create a safe counter cultural environment and care under the Chinese Christian community for second generation Chinese immigrants.

Daily Work Fund Development $7,000 To hire a fund developer to sustain the ministry over the long term and to purchase a client-tracking database.

Pueblo de Fe Young Adult Ministry $ 9,936 Continued salary support for a part-time outreach worker to young adults at risk.

Hands of the Lord $7,500 To provide physical and spiritual resources to those living in poverty in the Midway area of St. Paul through outreach efforts at Bethelehem Lutheran.

Project Nutrition $3,564 To assist One in the Spirit, a Native American ministry emerging in the Saint Paul Area Synod, to address issues of diabetes among the Native American population in the east metro area.

• Bridges to Iringa $15,000. Agricultural Institute $5,000; Ilula Hospital $5,000; Theological Scholarships $5,000
• Administrative Expenses. An additional $153,830 has been authorized as well. This expense is large because this is the first time these expenses have been authorized, and most of the expenses have been incurred. An additional $22,000 will be held in reserve to cover remaining amounts of the total $200,000 budgeted for this campaign (10 percent of the total campaign).