Application Deadline: 31 March 2025
The Karren Stinson Bursary Fund celebrates the life of a parish worker at Lutheran Church of the Cross, the late Karren Louise Stinson. She was stricken with an aneurysm and died on August 13, 1990, at the age of 32 years. Karren contributed significantly to the life of the congregation, especially in areas of parish education, congregational programming, youth work, and Evangelical Lutheran Women’s ministry. She also served on committees at the conference, Synodical, and national levels of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. Karren resigned this position after six years to attend the University of Victoria to pursue a degree in social work, with the goal of full-time church service.
The purpose of this Bursary Fund is to give financial assistance to Lutherans and Anglicans based in Western Canada who are currently involved in post-secondary education leading to a vocation of service. The first Bursary was awarded in 1991.
We now invite applications for a bursary of $1000. The deadline is 31 March 2025.
Persons who wish to be considered by the Bursary Committee must meet the following criteria:
- Be actively enrolled in full-time or part-time post-secondary studies;
- Be a Canadian citizen or have Permanent Resident Status with a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to be provided in the application letter (see below). The SIN number is required by the Canada Revenue Agency for income tax purposes.
- Have a permanent address in Western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon).
- Be an active member of a Lutheran or Anglican congregation.
To apply for the 2025 Karren Stinson Bursary, please follow these instructions carefully:
- Send a signed e-mail to lutheranchurchofthecross@shaw.ca no later than 31 March 2025, with “Application for Karren Stinson Bursary Award 2025” in the subject line.
- Attach an application letter to the e-mail that is addressed to the Bursary Committee and provides a clear rationale for why you believe you would be a worthy recipient of the Bursary.
- In 2 pages or less, briefly describe the following:
- your current situation, including your financial need;
- academic achievements;
- Christian activities;
- participation in community and church related activities; and
- preparation for a career in the field of social services, education, ordained ministry, or a related church vocation.
- Arrange for two official letters of recommendation. One must be from a member of the clergy; the other one must be from a teacher or an employer. These letters must be attached to an e-mail and sent directly to lutheranchurchofthecross@shaw.ca no later than 31 March 2025. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure that these letters of recommendation arrive on time; incomplete applications will not be considered.
The Bursary is scheduled to be awarded in the late spring of 2025. Only the successful applicant will be contacted. If you have any questions about the application process prior to the deadline, please send an e-mail to the Karren Stinson Bursary Fund Committee in care of lutheranchurchofthecross@shaw.ca
The application information can also be downloaded from the link below.