This time of year, we see overflowing flower and vegetable gardens. This abundance inspired me to consider Augsburg’s growth and reflect on the Parable of the Mustard Seed. In Mark 4:31-32, Jesus shares that the mustard seed is “the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Just as the tiny mustard seed grows into a substantial plant, an endowment gift can support the mission and growth of Augsburg in ways we can hardly imagine today.

I recently shared that Augsburg’s Campaign Calibration Task Force will recommend to the Board of Regents this coming October that we move into the most ambitious fundraising campaign in our history. We will dedicate a substantial portion of our campaign to growing Augsburg’s endowment, which will fuel our capacity to equip our students to make a living, make a life, and make a community.

How does an endowment fuel student success? One means is providing scholarships to promising students who otherwise cannot afford a college education. Another is supporting a professorship so that Augsburg recruits and retains the best faculty. Another is funding student experiences outside of the classroom such as internships and research. Indeed, over the years I have had the opportunity to interact with many Augsburg students who have engaged in summer research—thanks to the generosity of our benefactors—at Mayo Clinic. These students have presented their research at scientific meetings and have published their findings in medical journals. Most, if not all, are now in medical school or graduate school. What began as an idea for students to gain knowledge and experience has grown into a program for Auggies that will favorably change the landscape of healthcare.

We believe the successful fundraising campaign to build the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion prepared us well to engage people who care about Augsburg and our students. Thank you for your commitment to our shared work and for your generosity.

I hope you will consider supporting our next campaign with a gift to create a scholarship, fund a professorship, invest in a program that facilitates student success, or support another effort at Augsburg that inspires you. For our next campaign to really flourish, it will take all of our mustard seeds!

Warmly,

Paul S. Mueller, M.D. ’84
Chair of Great Returns: Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Campaign