Mission Support
Benevolence Information
What is mission support?
Mission support(we used to call it congregational "benevolence") is the money you place in the offering plate that is shared with your synod and the churchwide organization for ELCA ministries beyond your congregation. When we work together as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we are doing God’s work in ways that no individual or none of the 10,549 congregations can do alone. By sharing our time, talents, and possessions generously, God’s Spirit inspires others to give generously! Your Mission Support dollars support the whole church.
Mission Support in our Synod....
Last year (2010), 111 congregations in our synod gave $1.468 million in mission support to the Texas Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod to support God’s mission and ministry. As you can see from the following graph, mission support has been in steep decline since 2006. The costs to the mission of the church have likewise been steep - we have cut staff in the synod office and the churchwide organizaiton has also been forced to reduce both staff and minitry.
With that money 50% ($678,177 in 2010) was sent on to the ELCA churchwide to further the mission of the church. More than 25% of what is sent to churchwide is sent back to the synod in supporting our local congregations. About 30% of what churchwide recieves in mission support is put towards global mission.
About 6% of mission support is sent on to Lutherhill, Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and Wartburg Theological Seminary (totaling almost $78,600 in 2010). A portion of these gifts are also sent on to Texas Impact, Interfaith Ministries, LA Interchurch Conference, and Texas Conference of Churches.
About 26% is of mission support is used to support congregations and their leaders in times of transition, in times of restructuring, in times of taking on a new ministry challenge, in times of crisis, in times of celebration, and in times of learning and growing.
About 8% is used for staff who support congregations in their ministry to children, youth and families and college campuses. In addition, they support our synod's commitment to do justice locally, domestically and globally, as we strive to live like Jesus.
About 6% is used to support programs. This money goes a long ways from training coaches, to new pastor orientations, to preparing new seminary candidates, to training children, youth and family teams, and supporting teams to do work with our sister synods in Peru and the Central African Republic.
About 8% is used on the synod office's daily operations and expenses. The synod office is the communication hub for all the programs that goes on throughout our synod and therefore a necessary part to move forward the mission of the church.
Your support makes all this ministry possible. Thank you!
But we can do better.
We know that congregational ministries have also been struggling with declines and reductions. We know that we are not immune to the wider sstruggels in our national economy. But at the same time, we know there is untapped capacity for financial generosity. In September of 2010 we began with the first step in a new strategy to engage every congregation in an annual mission support consultation.
The percentage of funds your congregation entrusts to the synod and churchwide organization for ELCA ministries beyond your congregation varies widely from congregation to congregation. Most synods expect congregations (including newly developed congregations) to contribute 10 percent of regular offerings as mission support (also known as benevolence or proportionate share).
Our Churches Giving 10% or more in Mission Support in 2010:
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Beaumont - 18%
St. Paul Lutheran Church, La Grange, TX - 14.5%
Lord of Life Lutheran Church, The Woodlands, TX - 12.5%
Grace Lutheran Church, Houston, TX - 11%
Peace Lutheran Church, Slidell, LA - 10.7%
Joyful Life, The Woodlands, TX - 10%
Lutheran Church of the Galilean, La Place, LA - 10%
Our Churches who significantly Increased Mission Support in 2010:
| Congregation | $ Increase | % Increase |
| Messiah Lutheran Church, Cypress, TX | $32,932.78 | 75% |
| New Life Lutheran Church, Pearland, TX | $22,441 | 90% |
| St. John Lutheran Church, Bellville, TX | $9, 704 | 25% |
| St. John Lutheran Church, Angleton, TX | $7,291.60 | 35% |
| Peace Lutheran Church, Pasadena, TX | $5,800 | 100% |
| St. John Lutheran Church, Cat Spring, TX | $5,600 | 67% |
| Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, Houston, TX | $5,233.77 | 33% |
| Living Word Lutheran Church, Katy, TX | $5,167.07 | 8% |
| St. Paul Lutheran Church, Columbus, TX | $4,895 | 25% |
| St. Paul Lutheran Church, La Grange, TX | $4,166.67 | 8% |