When Pastor JP Carlson first heard about the LuMin Network’s Ministry Madness fundraising competition, he saw it as an answer to prayer. JP’s ministry, Table and Grace Campus Ministry at Montana State University, needed to raise funds for their upcoming Costa Rica service learning trip, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
“It felt like it fell from the heavens into my lap,” Carlson recalls. The competition, which challenged 24 campus ministries to raise funds online in a friendly competition throughout March, provided exactly what his ministry needed: a structured, engaging way to reach their $6,000 fundraising goal.
What made Table and Grace so successful wasn’t just luck—it was strategy combined with community. Carlson credits their victory to having a specific, concrete goal and a donor base already comfortable with online fundraising. Their systematic approach included regular updates throughout the competition week, engaging student leaders and board members, and leveraging the competitive spirit that energized their supporters.
The results exceeded expectations. They raised over $9,000, surpassing their original goal and enabling all eight trip participants to travel without personal financial burden.
But the true impact extended far beyond Bozeman. In Costa Rica, $3,300 of the funds they raised provided a full weekend camp experience for 35 fifth-graders from impoverished areas of San José—children primarily from Nicaraguan families who had fled their homeland seeking opportunity and safety. These young refugees experienced the joy of camp in the mountains north of San José, pulled away from urban challenges into an environment of play, care, and Christian love.
For the Montana State students, the trip opened eyes to migration realities and global perspectives they’d never encountered. “It helps people break out of the black and white political discussion,” Carlson explains, “and start to really see the actual conditions and why people are leaving their home country.”
The LuMin Network’s Ministry Madness didn’t just raise money—it connected campus ministries across the country in friendly competition, reinforced the enthusiasm of longtime supporters, attracted new donors, and ultimately enabled cross-cultural ministry that served both college students and vulnerable children thousands of miles away.
As Carlson puts it: “It kept campus ministry and what we’re doing in front of folks for a full month.” That sustained visibility and engagement is something traditional fundraising letters simply can’t match, demonstrating how the LuMin Network creates innovative ways for campus ministries to thrive and expand their impact.
Over 325 donors supported 24 ELCA Campus Ministries during this year’s Ministry Madness. Your generosity makes it possible not only for our local ministries to provide life-changing experiences to the students they serve, but for our network to connect and support ministries across the country. Thank you for your generosity.
Table and Grace in Bozeman, MT is one of 179 Campus Ministries affiliated with LuMin, the ELCA Campus Ministry Network.
