When Vicki Maher attended last year’s LCEF Fall Leadership Conference, she walked away with an idea to motivate and energize members of her congregation, Immanuel Lutheran, Des Plaines, Ill.: start a K.I.D.S. Stamp Program.

Maher came away with an excitement for stewardship and saw the K.I.D.S. program as a window of opportunity to educate their youngest congregation members. Begun in the spring, Immanuel’s program has been growing in both the Sunday school and the day school. Maher said the program appeals to grandparents who wish to encourage their grandchildren to save.

Though attendance at St. Paul Lutheran in Brandon, Minn., averages 15, the congregation is determined to grow. Established in 1900, the current building has the same amenities it always has, which means no running water, kitchen or inside bathrooms. A loan from LCEF helped the congregation build all of this and a fellowship area. The congregation is excited and restarted its vacation Bible school last summer. The congregation’s positive energy is a good example of how rural congregations can begin work on revitalization and renewal.

When the auctioneer’s hammer fell one day this summer, Christ Lutheran Mission of Perry, Ga., was declared the successful bidder on nine acres of land. Christ Lutheran is the three-year-old daughter congregation of Mt. Calvary, Warner Robins, Ga. LCEF acted quickly to provide funding for the purchase and looks forward being Christ Lutheran’s partner as members plan to build a worship facility, preschool, and retirement community. Until then, members continue to their outreach ministries, including providing home-cooked meals free to families in need every Friday.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Blessed with record loan approvals and earnings, the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) recently presented The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod with $3.3 million as a distribution of its earnings. From that total, $300,000 will be given directly to the Synod (unrestricted) and $2.7 million to member districts (an average of $89,000 to each of the 28 member districts within LCEF). Also, a permanent gift of $300,000 from LCEF will be placed in the new Mission Planting Fund, supporting the Ablaze! initiative to plant new missions and revitalize existing LCMS congregations.

Douglas Markworth, principal at St. John's Lutheran School, Chicago, Ill., knows how to make a quarter pay dividends. As an elementary student Markworth brought in 25 cents every week to buy an LCEF stamp. Over time, this eventually added up, helping Markworth attain the coveted teenage possession: a car.

In the mid-1970s, Markworth's investment in LCEF's special kids account, now called Kids Into Discipleship and Stewardship (K.I.D.S.) Stamp Program, paid the "ministry dividend" of helping build and support churches and schools, and helped him save for his first set of wheels.