First, Prayer
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” (Luke 10:2-3, ESV)
Your prayers are an essential part of your support of the work being done at University Lutheran (UniLu). In the midst of cultural chaos and confusion, University Lutheran aims to be an outpost of the Gospel so that many would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
Giving – Friends of UniLu
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.‘” (2 Corinthians 9:7-9, ESV)
University Lutheran’s financial support network is called Friends of UniLu. We invite you to partner with us on a monthly, annual, or occasional basis. Friends of UniLu support helps cover our current ongoing costs (see How We Are Funded below). As the Support Network grows, we anticipate it enabling new opportunities for outreach, evangelism, and service on the U of I campus.
Click the Give to UniLu button below to open an electronic giving form. We ask you to consider covering the electronic giving fees. This option is selected by default. You can give to the general fund or to other designated areas of support (when available).
If you would prefer a non-electronic option, please, mail a check to the following address or contact us for other options:
University Lutheran Church
604 E. Chalmers St.
Champaign, IL 61820
Major Gifts
If you are interested in learning more about ways that a major gift could benefit the work of spreading the Gospel and building up Christ’s Church at the University of Illinois, please reach out to Pastor Michael Schuermann. He can be reached at 217-344-1558 or pastor@uniluchampaign.org.
How we are funded
University Lutheran is a member congregation of the LCMS, but the building is stewarded by the LCMS Central Illinois District on behalf of the congregations of the CID and beyond. The congregation is made up mostly of students attending the U of I and Parkland College.
Here is an overview of how we are funded:
- A full-time pastor is funded through the CID mission budget. These funds come from the annual giving of CID congregations to the Central Illinois District.
- Ongoing operating and program costs are funded through gifts to UniLu’s General Fund (plate offerings, online contributions, and financial gifts received through the mail from individuals and congregations).
How your gifts are put to use
Gifts pay for our operating and program costs which include paying all other staff apart from the pastor, utilities, insurance, minor (and some major) repairs, activities, meals, snacks, trips, etc.
We take seriously the careful stewardship of your gifts as well as the generosity of the congregations of the LCMS Central Illinois District. In thanksgiving to God we give 10% of all gifts received to the Central Illinois District. At the end of each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30), we return surplus gifts beyond our budget and financial reserve goals to the CID.