Why Support Lutheran Education?
ESM is thankful for the many partnerships that allow us to offer excellent and affordable Christian education.
As an accredited parochial school, Emmanuel-St. Michael is funded by support from our many partners. ESM is blessed to be the primary ministry of our association congregations, Emmanuel and St. Michael, who together contribute 45% of our operating costs. Our school relies upon tuition, the ESM Endowment, and donations to our Eagle Fund to support our thriving Christian education community.
Your gift to ESM can make an immediate and permanent impact upon our students. We invite you to consider a financial partnership with ESM to help us provide the exceptional resources that support learning, faith and community. Your gift may allow a student to have access to Christian education through provision of a scholarship. It may offset the cost of education so that tuition for all students is affordable. Or, it may equip our facility with curriculum, technology, resources, or capital improvements that provide for excellence in Christian education.
We offer various methods by which you can make an important financial gift to our school. Each gift is a special blessing and forms a valuable partnership with us in providing education for life and faith for eternity. Please contact Dr. Ben Stellwagen at 260.422.6712 with any questions about how you can make a difference.
*New principal in 2022 but message is still spot on! Enjoy!*
Principal
THE EAGLE FUND
Gifts to the Eagle Fund provide for items in our “greatest need." These gifts help keep tuition affordable for all students, supports special programming, and funds projects that might otherwise be missed.
IN ALL GENERATIONS - Union Campus Renovation
In 2022, Emmanuel Lutheran Church began a long-needed process to renovate and improve our Union Street school building. The renovation will impact our entire school building. In addition to outfitting our classrooms with new flooring, paint, windows, and a more robust technology infrastructure, we will also update our electrical service, install new restrooms, and make upgrades to our HVAC system. We will also make improvements to the exterior, including tuck pointing of the brick facade, refurbishment of the roofing, and a covered entrance to the building on Union Street. The project to renovate the Union Street
campus will cost approximately $5 million. Emmanuel will take responsibility for the investment associated with IN ALL GENERATIONS so that our Lutheran school will continue to be an excellent, Christ-centered ministry for generations to come.
SCHOLARSHIPS (SGO GIFTS)
ESM funds most need based scholarships through donations to The Lutheran Scholarship Granting Organization of Indiana (SGO). Supporting scholarship is a critical partnership, but also can provide a valuable 50% tax credit for donors. To learn more and help fund a student’s tuition visit www.lutheransgo.org.
THE ESM ENDOWMENT
Partners wishing to make a permanent gift with an immediate impact may want to contribute to the ESM Endowment. Our endowed funds provide for student scholarships not eligible to be covered by the SGO and funds for special projects and capital improvements. These gifts are critical to keeping Christian education affordable and accessible to all families.
THRIVENT CHOICE
Thrivent members can make a difference by directing where some of Thrivent’s charitable outreach funds go. Eligible members can direct Choice dollars to ESM’s educational ministry and all Thrivent members can create a Thrivent Action Team grant for a special project.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Small things can add up big! If you patronize retailers such as Target, Kroger, Amazon, and others that offer a community rewards program or purchase products such as General Mills or Campbell’s Soup, you can be supporting our school ministry by simply registering ESM or collecting the box tops. Learn more about ways to contribute through these community partner programs.