Annual Ministry Reports
- Each January congregations and rostered ministers are to complete annual reports.
- Rostered Minister reports go to the Synod Bishop
- Annual Congregtaion /Parochial Reports are completed online for our Churchwide partner - it is vital that each ministry site complete these - as the formula for determining the number of voting members for the 2028 Churchwide Assembly is different than for prior assemblies. Voting members for the 2028 Assembly will be based on the number of baptized members for congregations that have filed at least one annual report within the past three years (i.e., 2023, 2024, or 2025).
Congregational Admin Resources
- Mission Intent Form for 2026
- Administration Matters - resource from ELCA on various admin topics
- Contact Sharing Policy (synod)
- Synod Communications Guidelines
- Copyright Info from Augsburg Fortress - keep your church legal!
- EIN (Employer Identification Number) Each congregation should have its own EIN for use on documents and official filings (such as grant applications, employee documents like W-2 and 1099 forms.) More info about EIN - HERE
- Parish Records Management (and retention schedule) from ELCA
- Maintaining the Parish Record from ELCA
- Records Retention Schedule for Congregations
- Disposition of Records
- Technology Resources from ELCA
- 501c3 Ruling Letter Needed? To initiate the Group Ruling Exemption process for your organization, send an e-mail to 501c3@elca.org. Enter in the subject line, 501 (c) (3) Exempt Status. You will receive an automatic e-mail reply which states: Please provide us with your entity name, address, city, state, and the Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) currently used for filing wage statements or quarterly reports with the IRS. Once verified this information is in the group ruling, a certification letter and attachments will be sent by PDF to your e-mail location.
Congregation meeting resources
- Bishop letter to congregations at annual meeting time 1/2026 - in download section below
- Report Covers from ELCA - in download section below
Legal Issues and Sample Policies from the ELCA
Property Matters
- NEW ELCA Church Property Resource Hub - info, webinars, resources
- Risk Management, Loss Prevention & Insurance Info from ELCA
- Property Matters from ELCA
- Property Tax Exemption - Churches - WA State
- Legacy Considerations for Synod Congregations
Financial Resources & Policies
- Audit Guide from ELCA
- Congregational Treasurers Financial & Accounting Guide from ELCA
- Expense Reimbursement Form for Synod use - contact synod office
- Financial Best Practices for Congregations
- Internal Control Best Practices
- 2025 IRS Mileage Rate is 70 cents per mile
- NEW Remittance form (congregational giving form) coming soon - contact synod office
- Synod Endowment Policy
- Mission in Washington Endowment Policy
- Synod Equipment Policy
- Synod Financial Policies
- Synod Gift Policy
- Tax Info from ELCA
- Treasurer's Handbook - While this is the 2004 version, info remains helpful! Please note the current Region One contact info may be found here
Personnel Policies & Resources
- Employee Handbook - Synod Office
- NWWA Synod Compensation Guidelines
- Policy for Synod Calls
- Synod Staff Sabbatical Policy
- Bishop's Spouse Travel Policy
- Employee/Volunteer Resources from ELCA
- Misconduct Policies HERE
- Mutual Ministry Guidelines from Synod
- Negotiated Resignation Guidelines from Synod
- Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline (rostered ministers, congregations & congregation members)
- Synod Coaches Discipline Policy
- HIRING HELP RECOMMENDATION: One of our congregations had an outstanding and very affordable experience during a recent hiring process. It’s called the Ostara Group (https://www.ostaragroup.com/) and they work with non-profits in a variety of ways. "They gave us feedback on the job description, posted the job, managed the applicants, did screening interviews with finalists, and designed questions for us to ask when our Personnel team did final interviews. They also provide interim administrative help, though we managed that with volunteers."
Addiction Resources
- Alcohol Audit - strictly for alcohol use. It is a brief test/self-questionaire to help people understand if they might have an alcohol use disorder. It is not a fail safe test, an assessment is always a good follow up
- DAST - brief drug abuse screening test for all substances, would need a much longer substance use assessment for follow up
- SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration) - resource for anyone who wants to know more about substance abuse and substance use disorders
