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For Starters
— A roundup of articles on the topics of faith, finances and volunteerism
HIGHER ARTS
A Common Thread—How a bunch of ‘Knit Wits’ are changing the world, one thread at a time.
 Back in 1998, Noni Strand, campus pastor of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, and knitting expert Joyce Englund started a knitting group. They figured it would be a fun way for students to get involved in service and learn
a new craft.
Nine years later, students, faculty, staff and community members—ranging in age from 7 to 90—still crowd into Strand’s office every Friday at 3 p.m. to knit or crochet any number of projects. Most start by knitting breathable, washable bandages, which are taken by Global Health Ministries and used to dress the wounds of those in underprivileged countries who are ravaged by skin disease. Others make chemo caps that end up in nearby Salina Regional Health Center’s cancer center, knit a prayer shawl for an ailing relative or just make a scarf for a friend.
“Students are always encouraged that their first project, either a bandage or a sweater, is something that is going to be given to someone else,” says Strand.
The group, which calls itself the Knit Wits, has knit and crocheted more than 300 bandages since 2005, along with many prayer shawls, blankets and sweaters for those in need.
“There’s nothing quite as wonderful as giving a gift you’ve made,” says Strand. “I think it’s helped students to think beyond themselves.”
—Sarah Asp
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FOUNDATIONS
Building Renewal—Zion Lutheran Church members take what was old and make it new.
 When the congregation of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church outgrew its 163-year-old rustic, red-brick building in Leola, Pennsylvania, members packed up not only the memories and the hymnals, but pieces of the church itself.
Along with nine stained glass windows and the hand-carved baptismal font, several wooden beams from the old church found a home—and a renewed purpose—in the new church building. One church member, a woodworker, salvaged the beams from the rubble of the old church and fashioned them into two crosses—one hangs in the narthex, the other adorns the new sanctuary.
Lifelong congregation member Sherwood Miller takes comfort in being surrounded by elements of the old sanctuary, a place his family has attended services for five generations. “It’s good to see some of the old things in there, there is no question about that,” says Miller, whose grandfather built the original altar and baptismal font. “I realize that the future was not in that particular building and of course the building does not make the church—the people do.”
—Rikki Murray
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LABORS OF LOVE
Extreme Gratitude—A community goes to the ‘extreme’ to help a family in need.
 It was an answer to the prayers of a whole community when “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” came knocking on Maryann Gilliam’s door in Armada, Michigan, last August.
On Christmas Eve 2005, Maryann’s husband, David, died suddenly, and his family, including six children, was left without a steady income. Shortly after, a toxic mold was found in the house and the family was forced to move. The community rallied to help.
Prior to David’s death, the children had been home-schooled, but Maryann knew she couldn’t
continue to do so alone. St. Peter’s Lutheran School in nearby Richmond took in her four school-age children and waived tuition costs.
“The teachers pulled together their own money to set up lunch accounts for the children, and members of the congregation donated money to help the school cover the waived tuition,” says Principal George Kovtun. The school also has utilized Thrivent Financial programs, such as Care Abounds in Communities®, to obtain funding in addition to the money raised.
Then, a community member nominated the
family for a new home through the hit ABC show. Others joined in, and more tapes and letters were sent to ABC pleading on the Gilliam’s behalf, including a banner-size letter from Daniel Gilliam’s kindergarten class.
“We all wanted to do what we could,” says Paulette Mills, a teacher who volunteered on the building site.
During the home’s construction, the kindergarteners added their own artwork to preschooler Ariel’s room, and before the unveiling they sang songs of God’s love that brought tears to the eyes of all who heard them.
“You could see the Lord’s hand in this all the way,” Kovtun says. “This is what we’re called to do.”
—Donna Mulder
Read an interview with Maryann Gilliam .
Care Abounds
Through the Care Abounds in Communities® program, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members receive financial support and other resources for volunteer projects and fundraising activities that benefit individuals in need and not-for-profit organizations. “We multiply the good we do by working together,” says Sandy Piette, program coordinator. “It changes lives and builds a stronger community.”
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A LUTHERAN MOMENT
 Art Matters
WHO: Ulrich Vilhelm Koren
WHERE & WHEN: Missionary to the Iowa prairie, 1853
WHAT: Ulrich Vilhelm Koren graduated from the University of Christiania in Norway in 1852. The next year, he was called to Iowa where he became the first immigrant Lutheran pastor west of the Mississippi. Koren was an original founder of Luther College and president of the Norwegian Synod. He believed art was a vital part of the religious experience, even in the agriculturally-minded Iowa prairie, and he encouraged the rural churches he served to commission altar paintings.
See for Yourself
 When Ulrich Vilhelm Koren and his wife first moved to the Iowa prairie in 1853, they shared a one-room log cabin with Erik and Helene Egge and their children while waiting for the parsonage to be built. You can tour the tiny abode as part of the open-air division of Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa.
For more information, visit www.thrivent.com/magazine/links.
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SERVICE SCENE
Putting for Pastor Steve—The loss of their beloved pastor prompted a community to act.
 The Rev. Steve Cox, pastor of Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Louisville, Colorado, led his congregation like he lived his life: with a strong, quiet and confident faith.
“Everything Steve did in his life was in response to God’s love,” says Christ the Servant member Valorie Sundby.
So when Steve died suddenly of a stroke in November 2005, his congregation and loved ones wanted to do something that would honor his memory and help to support his wife, Margot Wright, and two young children, Dylan, 13, and Sophie, 9.
Sundby, along with other members of Christ the Servant, organized the Steve Cox Memorial Golf Tournament, with the proceeds going into a children’s education fund managed by Thrivent Financial for Dylan and Sophie.
“It really took on a life of its own,” says Sundby. “When we first started, we were hoping for nine hole sponsors—we ended up with 19. It became bigger than just one little church that lost its pastor. The whole community wanted to be a part of it.”
With 88 golfers, including Steve’s three brothers, his father and Dylan, several corporate sponsors and nearly 300 volunteer hours, the golf tournament was a huge success. Altogether, after supplemental funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans programs—Care Abounds in Communities® and Care in Regions® — the event raised more than $20,000 for Dylan and Sophie. But more than just the money, the children got to see firsthand how many people love and care for them.
“To have all those people together on one day and for my kids to know that this was for them and because people really loved their dad, just meant tons to them,” says Margot Wright.
—Sarah Asp
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ASK THRIVENT FINANCIAL
Q: I have a small SEP account and a 401(k) from previous employers that I know I should roll over, but just haven’t gotten around to it. What’s the easiest way to make this money work harder for me?
A: You sound motivated to do something, and this is a great time to act. Many people have accumulated money in a number
of different retirement plans—401(k) or 403(b) accounts or even traditional or Roth IRAs—during the course of their career. Multiple accounts can make it difficult to manage your investments and track them against your retirement goals. On top of that, you likely are paying additional fees for the multiple accounts.
By rolling over and consolidating accounts, you can make these resources play a stronger role in your overall savings strategy, regardless if retirement is five or 30 years away. Contact your Thrivent Financial representative to learn more about a limited-time offer on rollover IRAs, available through April 30, 2007. With guidance from your representative, you can develop a sound financial strategy to ensure your retirement plan is on track.
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MOVING FORWARD
Going with the Flow—With a little help, one retired couple overcame cash-flow woes.
 Even though Ruth Cook-Begany and Bill Begany, retirees from Bardonia, New York, had tried to ensure a steady income stream in their retirement, rising expenses and property taxes impacted the bottom line. Despite the best efforts, their monthly cash flow wasn't enough.
Knowing they needed to make a change, Ruth, 72, and Bill, 78, met with Louis Leskosky, a Thrivent Financial representative, to look at ways to make the best use of their financial resources.
At the time, Ruth was receiving income from a part-time job, and she and her husband, Bill, each collected a small pension and Social Security check monthly. Ruth also had invested an inheritance with a brokerage firm more than a decade ago, but the returns had been minimal.
After listening to Ruth and Bill, Leskosky helped them think through their financial goals and talk about how life events, such as the death of one of them, could affect them. For instance, because Ruth and Bill had begun to draw from their respective pensions and Social Security before they married 11 years ago, neither was entitled to the other's payments should one of them die. Together, they created a program that generates a consistent current income stream, provides income to a surviving spouse and allows for flexibility should things change.
One of the most important things Ruth and Bill took away from this experience is the peace of mind knowing they have someone to turn to and talk through options. "They wanted to be sure that the relationship with their financial representative was just that—a relationship," Leskosky says.
—Holly O'Dell and Sue Kraus
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