Scholarship Application, Selection, and Award Procedure
Background: Jeffrey Allan DeMoss (Jeff) was born in Springfield, Ohio and baptized into the faith of the Lutheran Church in America in 1961. A lifetime Christian, Jeff exemplified the values of love, kindness, caring, sincerity, devotion, and gentleness. While Jeff had medical challenges from birth, he prepared himself for a lifetime of service to others with educational certifications in Psychology, Counseling and a Masters Degree in Social Work. Jeff specialized in counseling troubled teenagers and would often take on the most difficult clients. And it was here, among lost and lonely young people, where Jeff made his largest impact as he put his heart around those who others had turned away. He was well loved by all who knew him and left his world and ours a better place. Jeff died at the young age of 41 and his family would like to perpetuate his memory by offering an endowment to assist young people of this parish. Jeff’s parents are Paul and Sue DeMoss, members of First Lutheran Church, Findlay, Ohio.
- Determination of Amount Available for Annual Scholarship Awards:
a. On or before January 20 each year, the endowment committee treasurer will calculate the earnings available for award in the current year.
b. On or before January 20 each year, the endowment committee will determine the maximum amount for each award per applicant. - Award Criteria:
a. Applicants must be an active member of First Evangelical Lutheran Church between the ages of 18 and 25 years old and attending a nationally recognized accredited College/University having declared a major in health, religion and/or social work professions. Examples of professions include but are not limited to social work, counseling, psychology, nursing, medicine, youth work, ministry, and mental health.
b. Applicants must also be of good Christian character and be making use of their talents in a manner that is pleasing to God.
c. No one person may receive scholarship awards more than twice. - Determination of the definition of “Active” member:
a. On or before January 20 each year, the endowment committee will define the current criteria for “active” member of First Lutheran Church as determined by the church constitution and the ELCA constitution. An
active member will be the same as a voting member according to the church constitution for the purpose of this scholarship application process.
b. These defined criteria will be updated annually in the Scholarship Applications Guidelines distributed to all applicants each year. Effective 1/1/2008 - Announcement of application, deadlines, and selection procedure:
a. On or before February 1 each year, the endowment committee will announce the application procedure, deadlines, and total amount of scholarship funds available for award in the current year to the general church membership. Announcements will be made by any or all of the following methods as determined by the Endowment Committee:
i. Church newsletter
ii. Weekly church bulletins during the months of February and March
iii. Bulletin board (s) used for announcements for the senior high Sunday School class and the senior high youth group
iv. Bulletin board (s) used for announcements of interest to members
1. Church Council
vi. Church Committee chairpersons
vii. Church Web site
viii. Other persons or locations as appropriate from time to time as determined by the Endowment Committee
b. Scholarship applications will be available from the pastors, or the church office in the endowment committee mail tray.
c. Application period begins February 1 and all applications and related
documents must be submitted to the Endowment Committee no later than March 31 each year. No incomplete applications will be considered for
awards. - Review and Selection of recipients:
a. The Jeffrey Allan DeMoss Scholarship Selection Committee consists of five voting members. One ex-officio family member may also serve at the option of the DeMoss family:
i. Two members of the endowment committee as selected by that committee
ii. Three church members as selected by Church Council representing the following areas of the church:
1. One church council member
2. One church pastor
3. One Youth Committee member
iii. A member of the DeMoss family may serve on the scholarship selection committee in an ex-officio capacity, if they choose to do so.
iv. No member of the selection committee will have an immediate family member being considered for a scholarship award.
b. The Scholarship Selection Committee will review and determine the amount of award to each qualified applicant.
c. The scholarship committee will submit its recommendations for
scholarship awards to the full endowment committee for further review for compliance to all rules and regulations. Effective 1/1/2008 - Approval of Awards: The endowment committee will recommend approval of the selected recipients and distribution of funds to Church Council for action at the April or May council meeting.
- Announcement of Scholarship Recipients:
a. On or before June 1 each year, the Endowment Committee will prepare a letter of notification to each recipient to be signed by the President of Church Council. The letter will include information about the amount of the award, the name of the institution that will be paid, and an acceptance form for the recipient to accept, or decline the award that is to be returned to the church as confirmation of all the correction information.
b. If any applicants are not awarded funds, the Endowment Committee chair will prepare a letter to applicants signed by the President of Church Council stating they were not awarded a scholarship, the reason why, and thanking them for applying.
c. The recipients will be announced in the church newsletter and church bulletin. Certificates of awards will be presented to each recipient at an award ceremony during a church service or other appropriate event.
d. A news release will be sent to The Courier or local newspaper to be published in the regular daily paper, or to be included in the annual scholarship awards supplement, which ever is appropriate. - Payment of Scholarship Award:
a. Scholarship awards will be paid from the endowment funds directly to the college or university. Under no circumstances will the award be paid to the student recipient.
b. Award payments will be sent to the recipient’s institution no later than September 1.
Jeffrey Allan DeMoss Scholarship Application Guidelines 2024-25 School Year
Jeffrey Allan DeMoss (Jeff) was born in Springfield, Ohio and baptized into the faith of the Lutheran Church in America in 1961. A lifetime Christian, Jeff exemplified the values of love, kindness, caring sincerity, devotion, and gentleness. While Jeff had medical challenges from birth, he prepared himself for a lifetime of service to others with educational certifications in Psychology, Counseling and a Masters Degree in Social Work. Jeff specialized in counseling troubled teenagers and would often take on the most difficult clients. And it was here, among lost and lonely young people, where Jeff made his largest impact as he put his heart around those who others had turned away. He
was well loved by all who knew him and left his world and ours a better place. Jeff died at the young age of 41 and his family would like to perpetuate his memory by offering a
scholarship endowment to assist young people of this parish. Jeff’s parents are Paul and Sue DeMoss, members of First Lutheran Church, Findlay, Ohio.
Award Criteria
- Applicants must be an active* member of First Lutheran Church between the ages of 18 and 25 years old and attending a nationally recognized
accredited College/University having declared a major in health, religion and/or social work professions. Examples of professions include but are not limited to
social work, counseling, psychology, nursing, medicine, youth work, ministry, and mental health. - Applicants must also be of good Christian character and be making use of their talents in a manner that is pleasing to God.
- No one person may receive scholarship awards more than twice.
*An active member is defined as a confirmed member of First Lutheran Church who has communed and made a contribution of record to this congregation in the current or preceding calendar year. The applicant may be a dependent child of an active member.
February 1-March 31: Completed applications and two letters of recommendation will be accepted. Applications will not be accepted after March 31st.
April 1-May 1: The Scholarship Selection Committee will review and select the scholarship recipients no later than May 1 st with approval by Church Council. Applicants may be called for a personal interview at the discretion of the scholarship selection committee. This committee is made up of two endowment committee members, a church pastor, a church council member, and a youth committee member. A member of the DeMoss family may also serve ex-officio on the scholarship selection committee.
June 1: Applicants will receive a notification letter on or about June 1st.
Please submit or print the online form. Incomplete applications will not be considered for a scholarship award.
- Two (2) confidential letters of recommendation must be submitted directly to the First Lutheran Church, DeMoss Scholarship Selection Committee, 109 E. Lincoln St., Findlay, OH 45840. Be sure that the Scholarship Selection Committee has received both Letters of Recommendation no later than March 31st.
- One confidential letter of recommendation from a teacher or professor, a guidance counselor, or other school official who is well acquainted with you.
- One confidential letter of recommendation from pastoral staff of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, president of the church council, or youth leader providing supporting statements attesting to the Christian character of the applicant.
