FAQ
Friends Network is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Minnesota. We are governed by a Board of Directors made up of WELS/ELS members (both called and lay). Day-to-day operations are led by a paid staff who work either remotely, or from our central office located at St Croix Lutheran Academy in West St. Paul, MN. We are a WELS-affiliated ministry, but receive no direct funding from the synod or its mission boards.
Yes, several. We work closely with WELS and ELS World Mission Boards whenever it is mutually beneficial and/or appropriate. We partner with several national churches within the CELC. And we also collaborate with other parachurch mission organizations for training, resources, and programs from time to time.
We don’t do any traditional missionary “sending” within the United States, but there are several examples of our work directly benefiting the American church. Our alumni love to serve as lay leaders when they return to the US and often get involved in outreach efforts in their schools, churches, and communities. We also periodically provide cross-cultural evangelism training to churches or school faculties so they can apply the principles of friendship evangelism wherever they are.
Learn more about the history on the About Us page.
If you wish to make a donation in support of Friends Network, please visit our giving site. We accept credit card or ACH transactions online. If you prefer to send a check, please make it payable to Friends Network, and mail to: Friends Network, PO Box 18038, St Paul, MN 55118.