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LCMS pledges $150,000 for Philippines typhoon relief

Comments (12)
  1. Keith Schweitzer says:

    Please let us know when you have a bulletin insert designed and available for disaster response for the Philippine typhoon. Black and white bulletin inserts are highly effective for those of us who serve older congregations with folks who are not computer literate but who are very generous with their support of mission and disaster relief efforts of the synod. Thanks.

    1. LCMS Church Information Center says:

      Please keep checking back. We hope to have one posted before the end of the day.

  2. Bradley Felix says:

    What Keith said. I came to the site today hoping you’d have one on posted today. Hopefully soon the bulletin insert will be available.

  3. Gloria Heeringa says:

    I would like a bulletin insert also available as soon as possible please. Thank you.

  4. Pastor Charles Fox says:

    If we collect donations, which would be the most helpful? Should we send them immediately, or send it as one after collecting for several Sundays?

    1. Mark Hofman says:

      Thank you, Pastor!

      We can easily receive gifts either way, so my recommendation is to use whichever approach will be simplest for your congregation.

      Because Disaster Response takes a ‘long haul’ view of its work, gifts will be valued today, tomorrow and anytime in the months to come. For that reason, your members may want to help immediately and for the long haul which is a mixed approach – send the first collection immediately, then gather additional gifts over a period of time and make a second congregation gift.

      If you have additional questions, please call the Donor Care Line: 888-930-4438 My team will be more than happy to help you.

      Mark Hofman, Executive Director
      Mission Advancement

  5. Mark Hofman says:

    They ARE coming. I was asked to proof the final version late this afternoon.

  6. Mark Hofman says:

    Go to http://www.lcms.org/disaster

    The bulletin inserts are available for download there, in both color and B&W.

  7. Nick Moss says:

    It seems that if I donate online, I can’t specify my gifts towards the Philippines. How do I know that my donation will go directly to help those in the Philippines?
    I also suggest you put a GIVE NOW button on your main website page, it is hard to find where to give.

    1. LCMS Church Information Center says:

      Below is Mark Hofman’s response.
      ===
      First, thank you for your willingness to help! I have been asked to respond to your posted question.

      I apologize for any frustration we’ve caused.

      In response to the concern you and others have expressed, we are taking steps to activate a special Hurricane/Typhoon account and will be switching the online donation page over from the general disaster fund to the Hurricane/Typhoon fund. Anything that comes in to that account between November 9 (first date of our response effort) through the next several weeks will be used for the Philippines relief effort.

      We’ve stopped setting up designated accounts for each individual disaster event because the costs associated with managing those kinds of very tightly restricted accounts are excessive, and there are other more cost-effective ways to make sure we honor donor intent, making more money available for actual relief efforts.

      The switch will take a day or two for reasons that are too lengthy to explain, so keep checking back.

      You can also send an email to “mission.advancement@lcms.org” with the date and amount of your online gift, and the last four digits of the credit card you used, and we can add a special note in your gift record of “Philippines Relief Only”.

      The approach we use to draw funds out of the typhoon/hurricane account first. If still more is needed, we will draw from the general disaster fund (if funds are available). This ensures we don’t end a disaster relief cycle with unused gifts sitting in an account we cannot tap for another disaster.

      The LCMS and the Mission Advancement staff adhere to the Code of Ethical Principles and Practices, and the Donor Bill of Rights, as a member of the Association of Lutheran Development Executives (ALDE). Our management of donated funds goes through an annual independent external audit to ensure we comply with donor intent whenever a gift is restricted.

      Again, thanks for taking the time to inquire and for your willingness to help with this relief effort!

      Mark Hofman, Executive Director
      Mission Advancement

  8. Lois Beverage says:

    I am with a Lutheran Church in Southern Maryland and would like to begin a mission response to help with the disaster in the Philippines, however I am unable to get your bulletin insert to come up. I will be happy to provide the other information to our congregation but the insert would be great! Thanks

    1. LCMS Church Information Center says:

      Lois, thank you for letting us know. I sent links to you in a separate email. I’d appreciate knowing if you cannot open them. May God richly bless your day.
      Diane Grimm
      LCMS Church Information Center