Mission Statement: Spirit Lutheran welcomes gifts, whose earnings are shared to support the needs of God's people.

Vision Statement: The Foundation will pursue its vision by engaging in activities beyond those typically included in the program of the congregation. Those activities may include, but should not be limited to, assistance to the elderly and their families, support of our youth, promotion of independence and Christian stewardship through the development and management of human, physical, and financial resources.

In the mid 1980s, Senior Pastor James Homme asked parishioners to consider and deliberate the merits of a Foundation at First Lutheran.

It was determined the Foundation would offer three significant advantages:

1. Serve as an investment and estate planning vehicle for saints who would prefer to further God’s work than to pay additional taxes.
2. Provide a mechanism for facilitating and wisely investing funds not intended to be spent immediately.
3. Provide an ability to better utilize the gifts in accordance with the wishes of the giver.

The Foundation’s purpose is to preserve funds of the Foundation, retain the corpus, and use the investment earnings for the designated purpose.

Initial fund-raising efforts for the Foundation had moderate success. These funds provided the seed money for The Meadows, a 36-unit independent living facility for older adults, which was subsequently sold in 2019, and fully funds a visitation pastor along with supporting other initiatives to serve seniors.

After the merger of First Lutheran Church and Our Savior's Lutheran Church in 2015, the Foundation reflected the union by renaming First Lutheran Foundation to Spirit Lutheran Foundation.

The investment earnings provide funding for:

• social events for the elderly
• cab rides to church events
• visitation Pastor
• seminary scholarships
• college scholarships
• lay school ministry scholarships
• family and youth Bible "camperships"
• local missions
• global missions
• various needs of Spirit Lutheran Church

The 9-person Board of Directors operates with the following three standing committees:

1. The Elderly Committee supports elderly congregational members ministry needs.
2. The Missions Committee considers and awards distributions to local missions.
3. The Scholarships Committee administers educational scholarships, Luther Park camperships, Lay School scholarships and Seminary scholarships.

The Foundation should never be perceived as under the management of a few select individuals. The Board of Directors welcomes collaboration with church leaders and members.

President

Dan Market

Vice President

Jan Andresen

Secretary

Esther Hager

Treasurer

Lee Seidel

Members

Loren Bryhn

Steve Kirt

Debbie Market

Becky Riewestahl

Jim Seipel

Pastors

Rev. Dr. JonPaul Dragseth