As Development Director of Church Extension Ministries, my heart is always blessed to hear about creative giving. Director David Gundrum often goes to churches to present the ministry of church planting. During one presentation, the Lord spoke to a woman’s heart in a quiet way and moved her to give a sizable gift from an extraordinary source. What a blessing for the mission of church planting!
I am writing to remind you all to “do your giving while you’re living so you know where it’s going.” These wise words from a Christ-centered financial planner and author, Ron Blue, prompt us to take a minute to check on our giving plans to make sure they are in alignment with the ministries that are close to your heart. That could mean creative gifts now or planned giving as part of your estate.
If it’s been a while since you’ve reviewed your plans, I would encourage you to talk to your financial advisor. Or you can contact Randy Nyce from Everence Financial, a faith-based financial service company who works closely with Church Extension. I met with Randy recently to find out what kind of advice he would give.
Tax-Smart Planned Giving
Randy mentioned making sure that your planned giving is tax-smart. You don’t want more to go to the government than what is necessary! Tax-smart giving may include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, farm commodities, life insurance, IRAs and other retirement accounts.
Qualified Charitable Distributions
If you are already taking Required Minimum Distributions and give regularly to Church Extension, then Qualified Charitable Distributions may be a good fit for you.
Appreciated Assets
People who give like you also give appreciated assets. There are a wide variety of appreciated assets. Some donors have even given baseball card collections or toys or art. Everence can help with the sale and the proceeds can go towards Church Extension Ministries.
Contact Us for Planned Giving
These are just a few examples of planned giving. Everence can also talk with you about charitable bequest plans, gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and more. You don’t need to know the ins and outs of each kind of giving tool before contacting Everence. Randy can explain each tool and help you think through what would be right for you.
We know you have many choices about where you could give, and we are blessed that you chose to give to church planting. If you have any questions or want to hear more about creative giving tools, please contact me or Randy Nyce.
