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Title: Lutheran Stewardship Leaders Gather ELCA NEWS SERVICE LUTHERAN STEWARDSHIP LEADERS GATHER The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America would have six times the resources for mission and ministry if all members gave to the church the way ELCA stewardship leaders do, said the Rev. Mark Moller-Gunderson, ELCA executive director for congregational ministries. He surveyed 180 stewardship leaders on their giving patterns during the 1996 Stewardship Leadership Conference, Jan. 11-14, Chicago. Stewardship leaders give 12.5 percent of their gross income to the ELCA. As a whole, the ELCA's 5.2 million members give less than two percent of their income. The group was made up congregational leaders, deployed staff, global mission synodical coordinators, mission interpreters, mission partners, and world hunger appeal synodical leaders. This was the first time "this assortment of leaders and students" have been together, said Moller-Gunderson. "The notion here is not very novel," he added. "People who are doing similar things should talk to each other." If the weekend is to mean anything participants have to go home and talk again with partners in the synod, said Moller-Gunderson. The Rev. H. George Anderson, bishop of the ELCA told the group that stewardship is often made a burden, a program that people have to sign-up for. "You are offering people a matchless gift, the opportunity to invest their lives into something meaningful." According to a 1993 American Congregational Giving Study there are five major factors which influence giving in Protestant denominations: family income, age (highest giving is from 50-70), theology, level of involvement both physically (church attendance) and emotionally (love for the congregation), and planning one's giving. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2058; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia Christiansen, Assit. Dir., (312) 380-2956