NOTICE: Februry 2021
SOLI Suspending Grant Program for Review
The Stewardship of Life Institute is suspending its Stewardship Education Grant Program for at least through the fall 2021 granting cycle. The Board of Directors decided on the suspension to provide a time both to evaluate the continuing effectiveness of the grants and to explore other ways of fulfilling SOLI’s mission to promote stewardship education in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Click here for details.
Here are some of the creative projects our grant program has funded:
-Lower Susquehanna and Delaware-Maryland Synods, ELCA, to hold “Stewardship with People under 40,” a daylong seminar focusing on how to reach a new generation of givers.
-Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., to provide scholarships for 20 first-call pastors to Luther’s “Rethinking Stewardship” event.
-ELCA Region 8, to help fund the “Money Talk/Steward Walk” component of First Call Theological Education required for new leaders.
-Southwestern Minnesota Synod, ELCA, to fund holistic stewardship education in “First Call Pastors Family Camp” as part of required First Call Theological Education.
-Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, to strengthen its program of “Personal Financial Coaching” for seminarians and create a unit, “Introduction to Congregational Finance.”
-Lutherans Restoring Creation (in conjunction with ELCA seminaries) to produce six half-hour videos to help give valuable instruction on components of stewardship of creation for current and future church leaders.
-The Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA, to provide one-on-one financial coaching and distribute financial literacy resources to its rostered leaders.
-The Western North Dakota Synod, ELCA, to educate leaders about holistic stewardship under the theme “Living in God’s Abundance.” The grant will support the cost of producing videos and curriculum.
-Southern Ohio Synod, ELCA, to help pay for “4G Networking: God + Grace + Gratitude + Generosity,” through which church leaders will explore stewardship at intense two-day workshops to be held at three locations.
-ELCA Region 9 Stewardship Council and Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, to help fund “The First Call Theological Education Stewardship Cycle Retreat.”
-Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, to fund development of two classes, “The Stewardship of Bricks and Mortar ” and “Financial Stewardship: Planning, Budgeting and Management.”
-Metro Chicago Synod, ELCA, to fund a cohort of first-call pastors and those in small congregations to receive stewardship education.
-Central States Synod, ELCA, to give first-call pastors receive training and education at a stewardship conference.
Click here for an overview of the SOLI grant program.
Click here for a history of the SOLI grant program.
Click here to learn how to apply for a grant, and to read an FAQ about the SOLI grants.
Click here for a grant application.