Grants and Scholarships
For Church Workers and Students Pursuing Church Work
Education Loan Repayment Grants
The LCMS Kansas District provides grants to rostered church workers to help them repay college and/or seminary education loans. All rostered synodical graduates, as well as those who have completed the colloquy program, who are currently working in the Kansas District are eligible for the first 10 years after graduation or ordination to apply for this grant.
It is the policy of the LCMS Kansas District that grants be applied to any (educational) debt that rostered workers have incurred, whether in the form of federally subsidized loans, commercial loans or even credit card debt for books needed to enter ministry. The grant is sent directly to the lender to be applied to the principal to help reduce total indebtedness, not to make payments in advance or to reduce the amount of currently scheduled payments.
The Committee reserves the right to determine what indebtedness is appropriate and what grants will be given but seeks to keep its definition of indebtedness as wide as possible. Not adhering to this policy may jeopardize the worker’s opportunity to receive a grant.
For questions about Education Loan Repayment Grants, contact Heather Williams at heather@kslcms.org.
Scholarship Grants
Students pursuing a degree at one of our LCMS colleges or seminaries in professional church work and current workers pursuing colloquy may apply for a scholarship grant from the LCMS Kansas District. The deadline for applications is June 1 of each year. The Scholarship Committee meets in July to review applications and determine grant awards. The amount of the grant is based on available funds and the number of applications that we receive. Grants are sent directly to the university/seminary.
Funding for District scholarship grants comes from interest from scholarship endowments, designated gifts and bequests from congregations and individuals, and a portion of Ash Wednesday and workers installation offerings received from congregations.
Financial aid is also available from the Lutheran Laymen’s League (LLL), Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), and St. John’s Alumni Association.
Rural Opportunity Zones
The State of Kansas has established Rural Opportunity Zones (ROZ), 95 counties in Kansas that have been authorized to offer one or both of the following financial incentives to new full-time residents: 1) 100% Kansas state income tax credit, and/or 2) student loan repayment assistance (up to $15,000 over five years).
Visit the ROZ page on KansasCommerce.com to find more information, including eligibility requirements, resources and documents, and a map of ROZ counties. We’ve also included a few more details about the program on the District Resources page of this website.
MinistryFOCUS Grants
MinistryFOCUS is a grassroots organization within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), founded to eliminate systemic barriers to ministry. The organization recognizes that individuals often assume educational loans in order to serve the Lord, and for some, such loans often distract from or even undermine their very purpose. MinistryFOCUS has established a loan repayment assistance program (LRAP) so that these servants of the Lord can focus more on ministry and less on money.
Individuals who meet the following criteria are eligible for MinistryFOCUS LRAP grants:
- Currently serve as a rostered church worker of the LCMS
- Carry at least $20,000 in educational loans.
For more information and an LRAP application, visit the MinistryFOCUS website. Applications for MinistryFocus Grants are typically due December 31.
Hearts for Pastors
Hearts for Pastors is a not-for-profit organization that works to ease the financial burden of pastors by providing grants for education debt and relocation expenses. To find out more visit the Hearts for Pastors Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/heartsforpastors
Support Current and Future Church Workers
Congregations are encouraged to consider including a gift of $500 in their budget each year to be divided between the education loan repayment and scholarship funds. If every congregation gave $500, the result would be $80,000 in additional funding. Here are other ideas for supporting these two funds:
- Installation/ordination offerings
- Day school/chapel offering for one month
- Sunday School/Bible Class offering for one month
- Freewill door offering
- LWML/LLL/auxiliary board mission offering
- The annual District Ash Wednesday Offering
We also encourage you to consider:
- Establishing or adding to a scholarship fund to help members in your own congregation pursue a degree in professional church work
- Helping professional church workers in your congregation and/or school repay their educational debt
Words of Thanks from Grant Recipients
- I praise God for the financial aid you have given me. I am thrilled to be attending Concordia Nebraska. Thank you!
- Thank you very much for your continued support as I learn how to better serve God and others and to teach His children.
- I greatly and deeply appreciate your support. I can’t wait to see what God has in store!
- Thank you so much for the gift toward my student loans. Your thoughtfulness and generosity is greatly appreciated. It is a joy to serve God’s people!
- The loving assistance you offer to church workers in repaying student loans is truly something special. Thank you!
Stewardship Contacts
Shannon Fender
Administrative Assistant
shannon@kslcms.org
785-357-4441, ext. 1001
Ash Wednesday
Offering
The annual Kansas District Ash Wednesday Offering supports scholarships for future church workers and education loan repayment grants for active church workers.
You can participate in this year’s offering through your congregation, sending a gift directly to the Kansas District office (1000 SW 10th Ave., Topeka, KS 66604-1104, with the designation, “Ash Wednesday Offering”), or by donating online under the Kansas District Offerings page (choose “Ash Wednesday Offering” from the drop-down menu on the payment page.)
Below are printable bulletin inserts and editable announcements for the 2024 Ash Wednesday Offering: