Become a member of ELEA
CONNECT: ELEA staff members are a call, text, or email away. They can provide you with resources, advice, and prayer whenever you need it. You can also join our 'Community' member area to receive support from member pastors, principals, directors, and others. This instant exchange of ideas and suggestions through discussion boards, social feeds, and affinity groups will help you celebrate your successes and overcome your challenges.
DEVELOP: Our members have access to reduced registration fees for conferences, coaching, webinars, and training. Online access to recorded sessions from professional development events. Discounts on materials, curriculum, software, and more to increase efficiency and grow into best practices. Consulting services as well as Group insurance options and HR software to attract and retain high-quality staff are at your fingertips
INSPIRE: ELEA provides faith formation and chapel resources to help you build a community of faith. You can use the printed ELEA Devotion Guide, which includes weekly devotions and talking points, to encourage and inspire your staff. Additionally, ELCA Identity guides are available to support Church and School Together in Ministry. You can also receive a membership certificate for your organization and membership cards for you and your staff, to be recognized for your servant leadership.
Benefits of Membership
- A $3,000 Death and Dismemberment policy is given to all employees working 20+ per week or more in member congregations/schools.
- The option to purchase group disability and/or term life insurance at very competitive rates with no medical underwriting when purchased during open enrollment periods.
- Great prices on dental and vision insurance - OPEN ENROLLMENT dates are not guaranteed but typically fall in the month of November for policies effective January 1, of the following year.
- Student Accident Insurance for extra protection (available in Western states)
- FREE access to Zywave, a $900 per year value – your full-service employment law and HR resource
- Website & Mobile App - 30% Discount offered by Zing!. For more information, go to GetZing.co.
- The MAP Suite measures exactly what’s needed to give you valuable data with maximum efficiency: no more and no less testing than required. Testing tools at ELEA group pricing.
- Exchange –FREE magazine ($38 per year value) plus great discounts on staff development materials
- Printed resources developed by ELEA – Pastoring Lutheran Schools and Learning Centers, ELCA Lutheran Identity, Chapel Resources, Church and School Together in Ministry, Recruitment and Retention Posters, and more.
- Consulting and Coaching services to personalize the support and engage in deeper ministerial work.
ELEA uses its buying power to offer significant discounts from popular retail and supply companies to its institutional members, including Sunday schools, VBS, confirmations, and other programs.
- Augsburg: Frolic, Sparkhouse Digital, Sparkhouse and more
- Beehively and TechaBee
- Discount School Supply
- Food and Supply Source
- Illumine
- Kaplan
- Lakeshore Learning
- Vanco
- Smartcare
- Educa
- And more…
- State-of-the-art annual Conferences as well as partnerships with ecumenical partners for increased value and opportunities.
- Innovative Leadership Summit - intensive training for new and seasoned leaders – ELEA members only
- ELEA Regional teacher and administrator conferences in many areas of the country
- Synod gatherings and networking lunches.
- Webinars and online training – some sponsored by ELEA, some from quality partner organizations of which we will make you aware
Free credit union membership benefits from the ELCA Federal Credit Union. Membership eligibility extends to you, your school, your congregation, your employees and even your students and their families. Membership includes no-fee checking, higher rates on savings and lower rates on loans compared to national banks. Deposits (up to $250,000) are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).
- Staff and volunteers only a phone call or email away to offer advice, resources and a listening ear to help administrators, pastors, and other school leaders when challenges arise
- Access to the ELCA Coaching Network: working to actively raise up and deploy coaches in synods across the ELCA to empower the vitality of leaders and congregations everywhere.
- Consultation services through a small group of experienced school and center leaders across the country poised to meet your program where they are and support you to the next level.
- Representation at the national level through ELCA Schools’ membership in the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) – the voice of private education in the United States
- Representation at the national level with the United States Department of Education Non-Public office – dissemination of information and advocacy at this all-important level
- Representation at the national level with the National Center for Educational Statistics, National Assessment of Education Progress (known as “the Nation’s Report Card”) and other national and regional educational institutions
Ability to be recognized in one of ELEA’s award programs:
- Early Childhood Director of the Year Award
- Elementary Principal of the Year Award
- Distinguished Pastor of the Year Award
- Donald A. Vetter Educational Service Award
All of the above benefits with the exception of Insurance Programs. Individual membership is NOT available to individuals currently employed by an ELCA school, center, or church that has a school or center. In that case, the church and its school ministry must join as an institutional member.
