If you have to raise funds, you might as well have fun. Host a variety show that provides the congregation with an evening of laughter. Be clever and visual Put a new twist on old standards. Turn a bake sale into a Christmas cookie extravaganza, selling cookies by the pound. Collect a mile of pennies.
Many youth groups make money year-round by recycling newspapers and cans.
Start your own Youth Ministry Endowment Fund, into which money is placed on a regular basis. Contact the ELCA Foundation Office, ext. 2970, for information on managing the fund. Matching funds is not only the last phrase in fundraising, it's the first. Always check into Lutheran Brotherhood and Aid Association for Lutherans matching funds.