Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation Approves $2.3 Million in Grants to Lutheran Organizations.

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2003

The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation has approved grants totaling $2,277,256 to 12 separate Lutheran church bodies and organizations, representing ongoing support to Lutheran organizations. These grants, ranging in size from $450,000 to $1,500, support the following organizations and programs:

-- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Chicago, Ill.

(Thirty-two grants totaling $771,000). These grants support

rural ministry, strategic planning, Asian stewardship

leadership development and multicultural outreach on

university campuses, among others.

-- The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, St. Louis, Mo. (Seven

grants totaling $550,000). These grants support leadership

ministry models, strategic planning, distance learning for

ethnic immigrant ministry, and church planting among African

Americans, among others.

-- The Karpenko Institute for Nurturing and Developing Leadership

Excellence - KINDLE, Denver, Colo. (One grant totaling

$450,000). This challenge grant supports a one-year training

curriculum that fosters personal, spiritual and leadership

maturity among Directors of Christian Education.

-- The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Milwaukee, Wis.

(Eleven grants totaling $310,000). These grants support

stewardship education, world missions programs, parish care

committee training, prison ministry, and the development of a

witness Web site, among others.

-- The Urban Leaders Institute of the Metropolitan New York Synod

of the ELCA, New York, N.Y. (one grant totaling $111,000).

This conditional grant supports the synod's efforts to train

and equip 20 five-member congregational teams to lead and grow

African-American Lutheran congregations.

-- Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America, Fergus Falls,

Minn. (two grants totaling $33,256). These grants support a

pilot project to train women to minister to the spiritual

needs of women in their communities and to support a

centennial celebration of CLBA schools.

-- Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival, Minneapolis, Minn.

(One grant totaling $30,000). This challenge grant provides

scholarships for musically gifted high school students to

develop their God-given talents through a month long national

Lutheran festival of arts and music.

-- Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools, Mequon, Wis. (One

grant totaling $12,000). This grant supports the development

of a three-year strategic plan for AALS, a coalition of 90

schools across the United States.

-- Higher Things, Laramie, Wyo. (One grant totaling $4,500). This

grant supports a national youth conference designed to teach

the faith to youth of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and

to involve them in the mission of the church.

-- The American Association of Lutheran Churches, St. Paul, Minn.

(One grant totaling $2,000). This grant supports the church's

national convention.

-- The Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Mankato, Minn. (One grant

totaling $2,000). This grant supports the church's national

convention.

-- The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, Plymouth,

Minn. (One grant totaling $1,500). This grant supports the

church's national convention.

"The task of developing and enhancing ministries and outreach by the Church is never finished," said Jim Yagow, vice president of the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation Grants Committee. "Thrivent Financial is pleased to support these church bodies, institutions and organizations as we believe they represent tremendous opportunities to expand the ministries and growth of the Lutheran faith."

The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation is a private foundation funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. As a 501(c)(3) organization with its own board of trustees, the foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary and education 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 programs, visit: www.thrivent.com/fraternal/foundation.