{"id":678,"date":"2024-09-15T03:00:44","date_gmt":"2024-09-15T09:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/adminmatters\/?p=678"},"modified":"2024-09-13T13:49:16","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T19:49:16","slug":"index-of-the-september-2024-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/adminmatters\/index-of-the-september-2024-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"Index of the September 2024 Issue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Issue 95 of Administration Matters<\/h2>\n

Created to Be<\/h3>\n

\u201cI praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;<\/em>
\nthat I know very well.\u201d \u2014Psalm 139:14<\/em><\/p>\n

Last month the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans brought together 14,235 youth participants, 292 young adult participants, 595 MYLE participants, 72 tAble participants, 712 volunteers\/team members and 225 partners in interactive learning. Over five days these participants:
\n\u2022 Represented 1,207 congregations.
\n\u2022 Visited 207 accompaniment sites around New Orleans.
\n\u2022 Donated 3,000 relief buckets going to 20-plus communities across southeast Louisiana.
\n\u2022 Cooling towels were the most donated item!
\n\u2022 Occupied 37 hotel properties.
\n\u2022 Cruised back and forth to the airport 150 times.
\n\u2022 Communed together with 340 chalices and 170 patens.
\n\u2022 Shuttled teams and participants around the city with 60 rental cars and 123 buses.<\/p>\n

What the numbers don\u2019t tell us are the stories. Of Lutherans showing up for local organizations that were accustomed to broken promises. Of volunteers and team members who took vacation time to be part of this experience because it was part of their faith journey. Of smiles and high fives that, locals said, brought joy and a few pedestrian traffic jams to the city (maybe more than a few!). Of the work we do as a church, around this country and around the globe. Of speakers who were brave, authentic, free, disruptive disciples. Of the congregations that rallied around sending their young people to this event, and the adults who made it happen. We should write a book.<\/p>\n

Thank you to each of you for the ways you helped make this event happen. Blessings on all that you do.<\/p>\n

Politics, the pulpit and tax-exempt status<\/h3>\n

As we approach another contentious election, we often receive inquiries about permissible political activity for congregations and other ministries of the church. Our primary resource for this topic is here<\/a>. Links to other resources can be accessed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to remember that all 501(c)(3) organizations \u2014 including congregations, schools and social ministry organizations \u2014 have an obligation to adhere to these guidelines. The short version is that congregations and other ministries may not support or endorse candidates for office, but they are permitted to engage in issue advocacy and neutral political activity (e.g., nonpartisan registration drives, serving as a polling location, etc.). Pastors, deacons and other church employees can endorse or support candidates, but only if they are clearly acting in their personal capacity and not in their capacity as leaders or employees of their congregations or other ministries. For instance, pastors are prohibited from endorsing a candidate from the pulpit or on the congregation\u2019s Facebook page, or from placing a candidate\u2019s political advertising on the congregation\u2019s property.<\/p>\n

Portico will offer value copay and Roth in 2025<\/h3>\n

During this fall\u2019s annual enrollment, for 2025, Portico will offer a new ELCA-Primary health benefit option and a Roth after-tax retirement contribution option. The new Value Copay health option will help make plan members\u2019 costs for many health care visits and lab tests predictable and manageable, with a price for sponsoring organizations that falls between the current Gold+ and Silver+ options. The Roth retirement contribution option will be effective Jan. 1, 2025, for members with an ELCA Retirement Plan account.<\/p>\n

Sponsoring organizations and plan members were notified in August via email of 2025 rate and benefit changes. If your organization currently provides Portico benefits, talk to your members about their health option preferences, if possible, then select your organization\u2019s 2025 ELCA-Primary health option on EmployerLink, Oct. 1-14. The 2025 Decision Guide and Custom Comparison Report<\/a> are now accessible for registered EmployerLink users.<\/p>\n

8 ways to get the most from outsourced accounting services<\/h3>\n

Outsourcing can provide a range of benefits, from cost savings to improved financial reporting. Working with an outsourced accounting provider allows you to tap into a team of highly skilled and experienced professionals who specialize in financial accounting. >More<\/a><\/p>\n

5 tips for hiring a church secretary<\/h3>\n

A church office is a busy place that requires the talent of a strong administrator. Churches often hire a secretary or administrative assistant to keep things organized and assist with the flow of church communications. This valuable staff member is often the person that connects all the dots! Hiring a secretary is no small decision for a church because it requires financial resources to cover the employee\u2019s salary and benefits, unless you can identify a faithful volunteer who can fill this role. >More<\/a><\/p>\n

Be prepared for severe weather and storms<\/h3>\n

Having a plan in place makes for safer people and property. Preparation is key to making sure your organization is primed and ready before the weather takes a turn for the worse. To help your organization minimize potential damage and destruction, we have compiled information and resources. >More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Issue 95 of Administration Matters Created to Be \u201cI praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.\u201d \u2014Psalm 139:14 Last month the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans brought together 14,235 youth participants, 292 young adult participants, 595 MYLE participants, 72 tAble participants, 712 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":230,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-post"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIndex of the September 2024 Issue - Administration Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/adminmatters\/index-of-the-september-2024-issue\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Index of the September 2024 Issue - Administration Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Issue 95 of Administration Matters Created to Be \u201cI praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 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