Each Thrivent Financial for Lutherans member is assigned to
one of approximately 1,400 local units of Thrivent Financial
called chapters.
The chapter system enables Thrivent Financial members to aid themselves
and others through voluntary action. You can find your local chapter using the Chapter Locator.
The chapter leadership board consists of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
members, elected by members in the chapter, who provide leadership to
the chapter. The chapter leadership board is comprised of five required
elected positions, five optional elected positions and a number of advisory
people who are appointed by the elected leaders. It provides strategic
direction, leadership planning and administration to support congregational
and community service teams.
All elected leadership board members have equal voting rights—the
advisors do not vote in chapter leadership board matters.
Chapter leaders are required to meet quarterly* (in person or aided
by technology) and are responsible for allocating dollars to community
service teams for helping individuals, families and qualified not-for-profit
organizations. In addition, they manage the process for the local chapter
leadership elections.
* Chapter leadership boards are encouraged to meet as often as necessary
to remain a viable, active chapter—quarterly at a minimum. Most
will want to meet monthly to review activity requests in a timely manner.
Service teams and program funds
Thrivent Financial members can become engaged with Thrivent
Financial through one or more service teams. A service team is a group
of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members that conducts one or more
chapter activities. Each service team is part of a chapter, and all
service team activities are activities of the chapter. It is through
service teams that we anticipate most Thrivent Financial members will
become engaged in volunteering with Thrivent Financial.
In the chapter system, there are two types of service teams:
- Congregational service teams
A congregational service team includes all Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans members who want to come together to help a particular congregation
or its associated Lutheran institutions. Teams help by conducting
fund-raising activities and/or hands-on service activities such as
painting the church or building cabinetry for the fellowship hall.
The congregational service team must have three Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans members from separate households registered as congregational
coordinators. These members do not need to be members of the congregation.*
In addition, at least six Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members
(benefit, associate and/or youth members), each from a different household,
must participate in an activity to receive supporting funds from Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans through the Care in Congregations® program.
Congregational coordinators may be included in the required six member
households.
Participating congregational service team members may differ from one
activity to the next, and participants do not need to be members of
the congregation benefiting from the activity. (If the six-member-household
requirement is met, nonmembers may and are encouraged to participate
in the activity.)
Funds that a congregational service team uses to help its congregation
or related Lutheran institution(s) go directly from Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans to the congregation or institution through the Care in
Congregations® program.
Note: A congregational service team also may conduct
Care Abounds in Communities™ activities to benefit individuals,
families, local communities or organizations that are exempt from federal
income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. (This
includes charitable, educational and religious organizations.) In these
situations, the service team requests funds and accesses resources from
a chapter leadership board through the Care Abounds in Communities™
program.
- Community service teams
A community service team is a group of at least six Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans members (benefit, associate and/or youth members), each
from a different household, who come together to conduct
a chapter fund-raising activity or hands-on service activity. Activities
can benefit an individual, a family, a local community or an organization
that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code. (This includes charitable, educational
and religious organizations.)
Community service teams request activity and funding approval from
their chapter leadership board through the Care Abounds in Communities™
or Care in Regions™ program. To qualify for funding, the six-member
household requirement must be met. After this requirement is met, nonmembers
may and are encouraged to participate in the activity.
