Stewardship

Every year, by sharing 11% of our offerings, First Lutheran partners with four ministries who help us do what we cannot do on our own.

• The La Crosse Area Synod and ELCA Church wide raise up leaders, support overseas missions, create and maintain partnerships both domestically and internationally, as well as represent us in the work of Lutheran World Relief and Disaster Response.

• Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan serves to support people through addiction recovery, strengthen families suffering with mental health challenges and help to place kids with loving homes—to name a few of their ministries.

• Sugar Creek Bible Camp can do more in a week to help shape the faith life of a child than Sunday School can do in a year. The intense, immersive experience of camp is an extension of what we do at First. It also serves as our greatest leadership training center for young adults who choose to serve as counselors.

• LuMin is Lutheran Campus Ministry, which serves Western, Viterbo and UW-L. Along with camp, Sunday School and confirmation, Campus ministry is proven to be crucial to creating and sustaining life-long ELCA Lutherans. Our own former intern, Pastor Kathryn Thompson, was installed in 2024 to serve at our local LuMin.

In addition to supporting these four ministries, it has become our tradition at First to challenge ourselves to do more. When we exceed the financial goals we set to cover First’s budget and the 11% that supports these four partners, we give gifts to groups like Hope Restores, the Reach Collaborative, The Hunger Task Force and Safer Families for Children.

In 2025, with increased giving of $30,000, we will make a $10,000 gift to Pathways Home, a $10,000 investment in our Dave & Terry Lee Youth and Family Ministry fund and use $10,000 to support the first major initiative of our Caring for Creation Team.

As the generosity of our members increases, First Lutheran Church is able to not only meet the needs of everyday ministry, but also generously support additional work that welcomes all, builds community and serves our neighbors.