I offer what I have for the work of this church, and I ask you to offer what you have for the sake of the Gospel. Together we trust that Jesus will take our meager offerings and multiply them so that God's people may be fed with the Good News.

" trips to Mississippi and New Orleans for relief work
" our work with the Lutheran Church of Chile and a trip planned to Indonesia to teach English to the Batak people
" continued outreach efforts of our mission congregations
" disaster relief and hunger appeal funding
" leadership development through our campus ministries, outdoor ministries and candidacy efforts
" many other exciting ministries happening in and throughout the Indiana-Kentucky synod

We also heard some sobering news about our finances as a synod. Many of these ministries and programs are being threatened because of our lack of resources to adequately fund them for the future. To address this need, I informed the assembly during my report of two very important initiatives:

" CALLED 2 CONNECT - a stewardship program during which I will visit with every congregational council and pastor sharing information and programs concerning our call to be biblical stewards.

" CALLED 2 LEAD - an initiative to find new ways to fund lay and clergy leadership development through new and on-going ministries of our synod.

At worship on the first day of the assembly I reminded myself and all those gathered where we receive the resources to do the work that God has given us to do together. During the proclamation of the Gospel lesson we had heard about the feeding of the 5,000 people. It was during this occasion that Jesus took the five loaves and two fish offered by a little boy and fed an immense crowd. (They even had 12 baskets full of pieces left over.) That boy offered what he had, and Jesus took it from there.

In that spirit, I offer what I have for the work of this church, and I ask you to offer what you have for the sake of the Gospel. Together we trust that Jesus will take our meager offerings and multiply them so that God's people may be fed with the Good News.

An appropriate prayer for these days is one we often pray in the middle of our worship services:

Merciful Father, we offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us - our selves, our time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Yours in Christ,

Bishop Jim Stuck