Home > Home > The North American Lutheran Church receives grant from Thrivent Financial Foundation

Funding recognizes 500th anniversary of the Reformation

MINNEAPOLIS (March 27, 2015) — The North American Lutheran Church (NALC) was recently awarded a $22,500 grant from the Thrivent Financial Foundation. The grant, part of the foundation’s Reformation Anniversary Grant Program, will be used to support an NALC initiative to recognize the home as the first school of faith and to celebrate the contributions of Martin and Katie Luther in understanding family as a Christian vocation.

“As we near the historic 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we are delighted to assist the NALC with this initiative,” said Laurie Wilkinson, director of Church Relations for Thrivent Financial. “We are committed to helping create strong, healthy communities where our members live, work and worship.”

Holy Families!” is the working title of the initiative which will unfold during late 2015 through 2017, the year of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

“Martin Luther’s life as a spouse, father and faithful leader of the Church provide us with a legacy worth sharing during this Reformation Anniversary,” The Rev. John Bradosky NALC Bishop said in acknowledging the Thrivent Foundation’s grant. “The understanding of these roles as vocations, ways we serve Christ and His Church, ways we bless and encourage others in our community, deserve our best effort in providing the Holy Family initiative. Thrivent’s support is deeply appreciated by the entire North American Lutheran Church.”

The Rev. Dr. Cathi Braasch, a retired pastor from Nebraska, is leading the initiative’s development. She noted that initial plans include a website, interactive resources and networking, print resources and an educational travel opportunity coinciding with Reformation Year celebrations in Germany. She can be reached at [email protected] – please include the words Holy Families! Initiative in the subject line.

Watch for further details about this initiative during the annual NALC Convocation, August 13-14 in Dallas, and after that on the NALCNetwork.com.

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The Thrivent Foundation’s Reformation Anniversary Grant Program supports missional outreach and service programs as well as activities that recognize and celebrate the upcoming 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Between now and year-end 2017, some $2.25 million will be provided to eight separate national Lutheran churches bodies through the grant program.

The Reformation is deemed by many historians to have begun on Oct. 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses (topics intended for scholarly debate) to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This action eventually led to the formation of the Protestant church.

Thrivent is a fraternal benefit society founded in 1902 as a mutual aid organization by and for Lutherans. In 2013, Thrivent members voted to extend the organization’s common bond (membership) to other Christians as well, helping them to be wise with money and to live generously.

About the Thrivent Financial Foundation

The Thrivent Financial Foundation is a private foundation funded by Thrivent Financial. As a 501(c)(3) organization with its own board of trustees, the foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary and educational purposes and makes grants and gifts to 501(c)(3) exempt organizations. The foundation does not provide grants to individuals. To learn more about the foundation and its grant programs, visit: www.thriventfoundation.com.

About Thrivent Financial

Thrivent Financial is a financial services organization that helps Christians be wise with money and live generously. As a membership organization, it offers member-owners a broad range of products, services and guidance from financial representatives nationwide. For more than a century it has helped members make wise money choices that reflect their values while providing them opportunities to demonstrate their generosity where they live, work and worship. For more information, visit Thrivent.com/why.

 

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