Why Give?

Dedicated, educated, theologically well-grounded pastors, ministers, missionaries, and Christian workers with the tools for on-going spiritual formation are essential in our world. The grateful donors respond to God’s work in their lives and direct resources to where they will have potentially powerful impact on God’s work in the world.

The world desperately needs to hear the revelation of the work of God through Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament. Church workers need to be prepared to correctly distinguish Law and Gospel. People who are called to ministry need to be nurtured and their gifts of leadership need to be strengthened. Seminarians often come to Seminary with great sacrifice. By responding to God's call they often uproot families, leave careers, and bring along accrued debt from undergraduate study. Your support aids students and can help ease the financial burden ensuring that no student has to leave seminary or postpone enrollment for financial reasons.

Gifts from concerned and dedicated people like you have made possible the work of the Seminary. Through on-going gifts of money, endowment seed funds, planned giving, in-kind donations, and volunteer time you equip and tangibly support talented, caring people to heed the call to serve in proclaiming God’s Word.

On-going gifts include cash gifts, matching gifts, real estate gifts, and gifts in kind

Endowment seed funds are given to establish a capital fund which will provide an on-going source of income for the Seminary.

Planned giving allows donors the opportunity to direct portions of their estate for the benefit of the Seminary.

Pre-Authorize Debit Plan (PAD) You can set up secure pre-authorized bank (PAD) withdrawal donations by sending in a VOID cheque and completing the PAD form.

Pray

Whenever someone asks how they can partner with CLS, there is one constant answer amongst the many options: please pray for us.  While this might sound inconsequential, it is actually the most powerful thing you can do because it is not about what you do, but what God does in answer to prayer.  James 5:16b assures us:  “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (ESV).  Please commit to praying for CLS regularly, daily if possible.  Pray that God will grant us His guidance, future church workers, and the funds necessary to prepare these men and women.  CLS in truth belongs to the Almighty and all that we do should be to His glory.  Your prayers help make this happen. 

Send

In Luke 10:2 Jesus said: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (ESV).  In your prayers, please also ask God to reveal to you men that you know whom He would like to call into the holy ministry and men and women whom He would like to call into the diaconal ministry.  If God is pointing you to an individual, please tell them that you think that they would make a good pastor or deacon.  Please also forward the names of any men you think would make good pastors as well as men or women you think would make good deacons to jgimbel@concordiasem.ab.ca.  These individuals could be of any age from early Junior High School through early retirement.  God continues to call individuals of a great variety of ages to serve in His Church.  There very well might be someone you know who has felt the Holy Spirit’s tug towards ministry, but has thought it was only them, your encouragement might be the very thing that helps them to step out in faith and answer the call.

Volunteer

While CLS is a small seminary, there are many tasks that still need to be done.  In order for CLS to do these things, many helpers come along side of us by volunteering their time and talents.  Pastors in the area help by leading chapel.  Congregations in the area help mentor students who are sent to them as field workers.  Donors bring in food for the seminary pantry.  Retired pastors and their families donate books for the students.  The Seminary Guild donates time and money to help support our students in numerous ways.  As Hebrews 6:10 reminds us: “God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” (ESV)

Seminary Pantry

CLS provides support to its students through the Seminary Pantry, including refrigerated and frozen items. When available, cash cards for a variety of grocery stores are given to students so that they can directly purchase food and other personal care items. Money and supplies, raised by the CLS Guild through your memberships and gifts, keep the shelves filled with food, necessary utensils, and appliances. Donations of money or gifts-in-kind are always welcome. Some donors give sides of beef, pork, and eggs. In the fall, sacks of fresh vegetables – potatoes, carrots, squash, onions, beets, etc. are generously given, and gratefully received.

A list of other groceries that students can use is sent out to Guild Representatives each year, and many congregations, ladies groups, and other groups collect and send in these needed items.

Adopt a Student

Through the Adopt a Student programme, sponsors are connected with a specific student to support.  Support of an adopted student can include prayers, letters and cards and monetary support.

A student can be “adopted” by:

• your church

• a group within your church

• a group of friends

• a family

• an individual

How does it work?

• CLS will choose an LCC student for you to “adopt” during their studies. (The Canada Revenue Agency requires us, not you, to designate the particular student your gifts will help through this program.)

• The student sends you a picture and a brief biography, along with contact information, family members’ names and birthdays, etc.

You agree:

• To pray regularly for the student and family.

• To encourage the student and family in appropriate ways (e.g. writing occasionally, sending a card at Christmas and on birthdays, etc.)

• You may also want to help support the student (and family) financially and with gifts.

If so, remember:

• When you as a group directly support a student, you are responsible for issuing a T4A slip at calendar year-end.

• It is generally easiest for everyone if funds are channelled through CLS; we will then issue a T4A slip to the student.