A Few Thoughts... At this time of Thanksgiving it is good that we stop to give thanks to our God for all of His blessings. I say that because it can be so easy to live day after day thinking that who we are and what we have is our doing and leave God out of the picture. It is kind of like a young fourth-grade boy who stood up in school to give a report about the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. Being very careful about mentioning anything about God in his report, since he had heard something about keeping God out of school, he began in this way:

“The Pilgrims came here seeking freedom of you know what.

When they landed, they gave thanks to you know who.

Because of them, we can worship each Sunday, you know where.”

As God’s people we know that Thanksgiving is not necessarily a time of the year but rather an attitude of the heart where there can be thankfulness to God everyday for all of His blessings, especially those that are spiritual. Sometime read Psalm 103. It starts out: “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.” And then it goes on from there giving focus as to what our thanks and praise should be about—forgiveness of our sins, redemption, that He is slow to anger, He abounds in love, a love that is so great! And on and on. Yes, so many physical blessings are also ours for which we give thanks to God but especially we give thanks to Him for life that He has given us in the gift of His Son Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

We have a beautiful example of a pastor who lived many years ago, Rev. Johann Mentzer, who understood that. He had suffered numerous setbacks in his life, finally losing all of his possessions, escaping only with his life when his home burned down one day. But in the depth of all of these hurts and struggles, his thankful heart showed itself in a beautiful way when he shared; “The devil shall not say that he filled me with sorrow or discouragement.” He then sat down and penned

the powerful lines of the beautiful hymn of praise, “Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices.”

Oh, that I had a thousand voices To praise my God with thousand tongues! My heart, which in the Lord rejoices, Would then proclaim in grateful songs

To all, wherever I might be, What great things God has done for me. (LSB 811 v. 1)

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund celebrates the opportunity to be a Christ-centered servant partner with you in your mission of sharing that Good News of Jesus, and especially at this time of Thanksgiving, thanks God for you.

A blessed Thanksgiving,

Rev. Gene Gierke

Romans 15:13

152 S. Columbia • PO Box 407 • Seward, NE 68434 • 888.643.2961

November 2013

Friends From Around the World... Gather for food, fun, and fellowship!

International students at University Lutheran in Kearney gathered for an evening together on September 13. Through fellowship time, University Lutheran began to build a relationship with these students, a first step in having the opportunity to share the saving Gospel of Christ with them. An LCEF-sponsored dinner allowed time for everyone, including LCEF staff, to get to know one another.

Gratitude Across the Globe

God continues to bless the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) with passionate, ministry-focused investors and equally committed borrowers and supporters who believe in and support the mission of sharing

the Gospel.

Thank you for empowering ministries across the world!

Merci!

Thank You! Danke!

Gracias!

“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds

among the peoples!” —1 Chronicles 16:8

“Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with

equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O

God; let all the peoples praise you!” —Psalm 67:4-5

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that

was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him

in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was

confirmed among you…“ — 1 Corinthians 1:4–6

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of

mine for you all making my prayer with joy…” —Philippians 1:3-4

Y.I. Club Calling all Little Lambs, Mission Builders and World Changers! Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) is introducing the Young Investors (Y.I.) Club to help children and teens save for the future while helping others learn about Jesus! Open a Y.I. StewardAccount® with $25 or more to benefit from these Y.I. Club features: Premium interest rate on balances under

$1,000—November’s rate is 3.5%. Welcome packet with free club giveaway Y.I. Club newsletters and web activities Report card extra credit for A’s up to $25.00

per year Service hours projects for extra credit up

to $25.00 per year Service Hours extra credit College Scholarship program Contests and fun!

According to surveys, young adults have little confidence that Social Security will be around when they reach an age where it might be beneficial to them. Not only that, college education costs are escalating and making parents worry they won’t be able to retire because of the financial help they may need to provide their children or grandchildren.

Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) is introducing the Young Investors (Y.I.) Club to help children and teens save for the future and learn about using money as a gift from God. This program brings together young people and their families with lessons in financial stewardship and the knowledge they are helping others learn the truth of our Savior, Jesus. Investing now makes it easy for young people to know how to invest and serve the church later in life. The habits they learn now will last a lifetime. Help them get started—a Y.I. StewardAccount can be opened with just $25.

Find out more at lcef.org or call Gene at 402-641-1485.

As a Christian parent, you know it’s important to teach your child to give thanks for God’s many blessings and use those blessings wisely to serve

Him. Learning to understand the value of sharing, saving and spending

money is a good place to start. When you help your child save for the future

through the LCEF Young Investors (Y.I.) Club, those dollars can also help someone else learn about Jesus. Your

child’s investment will empower ministry! With an investment of just $25 in a Y.I. StewardAccount®, your child becomes a Y.I. Club member

with special activities, games, and fun!

Where saving money is fun...

and helps others learn about

Jesus.

World Changers

Ages 13-18

Mission Builders

Ages 7-12

Little

Lambs Ages 0-6

Dedicated Certificate

Minimum Investment

Rate APY

$100 -- 0.125% 0.125%

Custodial accounts for minors: $25

$1,000 -- 0.250% 0.250%

$5,000 -- 0.375% 0.376%

IRA Jumbo Notes (Minimum Investment $100,000)

Rate APY

5 Year Fixed -- 1.625% 1.635%

60 Month Floating

-- 1.115% 1.120%

LCEF StewardAccount access features provided through UMB Bank n.a. The StewardAccount is not available to investors living in South Carolina. LCEF is a nonprofit religious organization; therefore, LCEF investments are not FDIC-insured bank deposit accounts. This is not an offer to sell LCEF investments, nor a solicitation to buy. LCEF will offer and sell its securities only in states where authorized. The offer is made solely by LCEF’s Offering Circular. Investors should carefully read the Offering Circular, which more fully describes associated risks.

Congregation Endowment Note (5-Year Fixed)

Minimum Investment

Rate APY

$1,000 -- 1.115% 1.120%

$10,000 -- 1.240% 1.246%

$100,000 -- 1.365% 1.372%

StewardAccount® Certificate

Minimum Investment Rate APY

$100 -- 0.125% 0.125%

$1,000 -- 0.250% 0.250%

$5,000 -- 0.375% 0.376%

$10,000 -- 0.625% 0.627%

IRA Dedicated Certificate

Minimum Investment

Rate APY

$100 -- 0.125% 0.125%

$1,000 -- 0.250% 0.250%

$5,000 -- 0.375% 0.376%

$10,000 -- 0.625% 0.626%

HSA FlexPlus Certificate

Minimum Investment Rate APY

$1 -- 0.625% 0.627%

$2,500 -- 1.125% 1.131%

$5,000 -- 1.500% 1.510%

$15,000 -- 2.125% 2.146%

Family Emergency StewardAccount Certificate

Minimum Investment Rate APY

$25 -- 0.750% 0.753%

Balances of <$10,000 require monthly electronic investments

Investment Interest Rates

November 2013

Congregation Certificates (Minimum Investment $100)

Rate APY

Demand -- 0.125% 0.125%

StewardAccount® Certificates

$100 -- 0.375% 0.376%

$250,000 -- 0.500% 0.501%

$500,000 -- 0.625% 0.627%

$1,000,000 + -- 0.750% 0.753%

Congregation Endowment Note (60-Month Floating)

Minimum Investment

Rate APY

$1,000 -- 1.115% 1.120%

$10,000 -- 1.240% 1.246%

$100,000 -- 1.365% 1.372%

Cemetery Perpetual Care StewardAccount Certificate

Rate APY

$1,000 -- 0.375% 0.376%

$25,000 -- 0.500% 0.501%

$50,000 -- 0.625% 0.627%

$100,000 + -- 0.875% 0.879%

Floating Term Notes (Minimum Investment $100)

Rate APY

2½ Year (30 Month)

-- 0.310% 0.310%

5 Year (60 Month)

-- 0.740% 0.742%

Fixed Term Notes (Minimum Investment $500)

Rate APY

6 Month -- 0.125% 0.125%

9 Month -- 0.250% 0.250%

1 Year -- 0.375% 0.376%

18 Month -- 0.500% 0.501%

2 Year -- 0.625% 0.626%

3 Year -- 0.875% 0.878%

4 Year -- 1.000% 1.004%

5 Year -- 1.250% 1.256%

800-843-5233 lcef.org

10733 Sunset Office Drive

Suite 300 St. Louis, MO 63127

Y.I. StewardAccount

Minimum Investment Rate APY

$25-$999 3.500% 3.557%

$1,000 and over

0.750% 0.753%

$10,000 -- 0.750% 0.753%

Portion of balance > $999.99 earns second tier rate.