About Christian Giving

Motivation for Giving

"Christ's love compels us" says the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:14. God doesn't need our possessions. "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it" (Psalm 24:1). God wants our devotion. "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deut 6:5). Everything in our lives should reflect our total dedication to God. God has shown us incredible mercy time and again, particularly in sending us Jesus as a Savior. Jesus redeems us from sin and makes us one with God again. We have eternal life through him. It is God's Holy Spirit that helps us to see and believe in Jesus our Savior and to WANT to serve God in all we do, including with our possessions.

The Bible is full of passages regarding stewardship. Bible passages and studies can be found below in the "Motivation for Giving" folder.

Why Give to WELS?

You are moved by God's grace to give, but why give to WELS specifically? WELS' central mission is to follow Jesus' command to share the gospel throughout the world. Specifically our mission is to "make disciples throughout the world for time and for eternity, using the gospel in Word and sacrament to win the lost for Christ and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service, all to the glory of God."

You can learn the details about WELS ministry from the resources found below in the "Why Give to WELS?" folder.

How WELS Is Supported

Gospel ministry is carried out locally at each of our WELS congregations or affiliates. To carry out the Great Commission on a larger scale, our congregations join together as the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. We do together, with God's blessings, that work which we could not do alone. This includes training professionals to lead our ministry efforts, carrying out mission work in North America and in other countires, and mass producing Bible-based publications.

WELS is primarily supported by our congregations through prayers, the regular portion of offerings each church designates to WELS called "congregation mission offerings," and special offerings. WELS is also supported directly by individual members' prayers, volunteering, and donations through Mission Partners, responses to mailings, or through a planned giving instrument of WELS Foundation. It is the work of WELS Ministry of Christian Giving to encourage and assist with thoughtful, joyful giving.

Learn more about the ways congregations and individuals can support WELS below in the "How WELS is Supported" folder.