November 2023 — Social Ministry News

Christ the King – Mission Endowment Fund

Grant Application Deadline! = 15 December, 2023

What is the Mission Endowment Fund?

The fund was designed to support Christ the King Lutheran Church in its mission.  The Fund receives unrestricted gifts and bequests from congregation members and their families, and friends of Christ the King.

This is a permanent endowment fund that is separate and distinct from the everyday operating funds of the church.  The assets are held by the ELCA Endowment Fund Trust to provide for their long-term stability and growth, so donors can be confident that their gifts will endure to continue God’s work within our congregation, the community of Durango, and the world.

How do I apply for a Mission Endowment Fund Grant?

Applications can be made at any time of the year, but the Board meets once a year, in January, to review all applications that were received prior to December 15^st of the previous year.

The application form can be found on the Christ the King website at ctkdurango.org/learn-more/documents in a fillable PDF format.

To submit it, you may email to mef@ctkdurango.org.

Or it can be mailed to the church at

Mission Endowment Fund

Christ the King Lutheran Church

495 Florida Road

Durango, Colorado  81301-4730

If you have questions about filling out the application, or what kinds of projects or agencies might be appropriate, feel free to contact the board at mef@ctkdurango.org.  Or, of course, you may talk with any of us at church.

Yours in Christ,

The MEF Board

John Condie, Lynn Mitzlaff, Megan Reid, Renate Widder, and Gary Rollstin

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Christmas is coming, AGAIN!
The Social Ministry Team invites you all to participate in the ELCA Good Gifts program that keeps on giving. Using the online catalogue, you can choose from more than 50 sustainable gifts, in honor of family and friends, to give to people throughout the world who are in desperate need.
Go to, goodgifts@ELCA.org to start shopping.

There is still MORE!!!!!
Don’t forget to put Colorado Gives Day on your calendar! This year it will be held on Tuesday, 12/5/23. This year donations made starting Nov. 1, 2023 through Dec. 5, 2023 will qualify to become part of the Incentive Fund. All nonprofits receive a % of the fund equal to the % they raise for the Colorado Gives Day program. Raise 10%, get 10% of the Incentive Fund.
Go to www.coloradogives.org, choose donate and then location for local and statewide non-profits.

Let’s spread the love!

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The holidays are fast approaching, and with them, the opportunities to share our blessings with others. This year we have three of those opportunities to highlight.

First, as we have for 30-some years, we will be making the stuffing for the Community Thanksgiving Dinner. As always, we will meet at Manna Soup Kitchen beginning at 4 pm on Tuesday, November 22nd. We will chop veggies, sauté sausage, and tear bread until we have 25 full pans of stuffing. It is always a wonderful fellowship event, and a huge service to the community.

Second, as we have for 1-some years, we will be doing a gift collection for our Mission partner, the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, Arizona. Tags with needed items will be posted in the Welcome Center. We will ask you to take one or more tags and purchase the item thereon. Look for these shortly after Thanksgiving.

Third, Colorado Gives Day is coming up. We want to acquaint you with this opportunity to painlessly increase the value of your donations to local charities. Donations made to non-profit organizations that have signed up will be supplemented by some percentage from the Community First Foundation. The percentage depends on total giving to all participating organizations. This year, despite the Colorado Gives “Day” title, giving begins November 1st and continues until the “Day,” December 5th. All donations made during this time qualify for the incentive. For more information, check their website, www.coloradogives.org.

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Ctk’s Noisy Offering began years ago during a time of uncertainty with the church’s budget. Tithing was down, and in the absence of knowing just how much financial gifts the church would receive each month, the Social Ministry budget was cut. This meant that local, necessary, and beloved organizations like Manna, the Food Bank, VOA of SW CO, and others would not receive monies they previously counted on. So the Noisy Offering at CTK was born. Metal cans were passed after the Offering plate, so that coins – change – placed in the buckets would not only make a joyful noise, but the change itself represented the change it was making in the receiving organization and the greater community. The joyful noise of the noisy offering reminds us that giving is much more than a duty. Your regular tithe goes to CtK operating costs and to her ministries, which do include the noisy offering recipients through the social Ministry budget – because giving is a duty and a joy!

CTk’s Noisy Offering is also a way we teach our children the importance of giving and serving. Often our children are passing the noisy offering can, and that’s by design. So especially when a tiny hand passes you the can, remember a tiny face is watching – so joyfully plunk in your change and let the noise ring out!

If you have a non-profit that you want to see included as a Noisy offering recipient, put your suggestion in the box on the credenza in the Welcome Center.