Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
Where Gifts Keep Growing and Giving
Newsletter Items & Stewardship Helps
for Local Churches
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| January 2009 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #250 How Much is Enough? “Philip answered, "Two hundred silver pieces wouldn't be enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece." (John 6:7 The Message) When I was a child, it was a big treat to go to McDonald’s. Our family rule was that everyone paired up to share a shake and a small order of fries to go along with their hamburger or fish sandwich. The one who divided the shake allowed their partner to choose first and my brother (now a math teacher) would often count out the fries! Almost every time we went I remember thinking, “This isn’t enough. I’m really hungry.” The reality was that my perceived scarcity often turned to abundance as I forced myself to eat those last few fries that were mine! As we begin a new year, we’re facing new challenges of perception in the church. Do people really have enough money to go around? It’s already been a cold winter and some find themselves choosing between heat and food or medicine. The snow plowing bills are already high and we’re only one month into the season. The stock market is still bouncing all over the place and investment income is way down. Many have lost their jobs and others live in fear of the same. Yet, God is good – all the time. And, all the time – God is good. We say this. We encourage our children and youth to repeat it with great enthusiasm. Yet, do we believe it? How does it become real in our lives? God is calling us to rework our priorities and, perhaps, re-imagine our ministry. When times get tough – financially or emotionally – it’s very tempting to withhold our money from God because we’re convinced we don’t have enough. When we remember that everything we have is a gift from God, it’s easier to give the first check or the first payment of every week or month to the ministry of Christ through the church. And whether our gift is enough to buy a half-order of fries or feed the multitudes, we know it will be used to proclaim the Good News. Praise God! Happy New Year! Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair Wisconsin Stewardship Stories If you have a stewardship story or idea to share, please send it to us today. The Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation reserves the right to edit all submissions. Authors also grant permission to the Foundation to share their writing in this forum with other U.M. churches. Money is value neutral. But people attach lots of meaning to it. With all the advertising and all the “stuff” out there to buy, it should come as no great surprise that the average consumer debt is about $13,000. We have a hard time distinguishing our “needs” from our “wants.” Personally, right now a new computer at home looks pretty good to me. I’m tempted to spend some of what I don’t yet have in order to buy one. It’s hard to see the abundance we already have. It’s easier to think that, with just a little more, we’ll have what we need. Amazingly, no matter what income level people are at, studies have shown that they will usually say that their financial problems would be solved by adding about 10 percent to their current income. Is it any wonder then, that the church can get stuck in the “we don’t have enough money” mode? We can look at the church and think, “If we only could afford this program or that ministry, we would be fine.” It’s called an attitude of scarcity. The reality is different. It’s not the money that leads the way. Money follows mission. If we are faithful in doing what God really wants us to do – if we have a vision and are excited about it, the money will follow. Now that doesn’t mean that we can come up with any exciting idea and God will bless it. No, we need careful visioning. We need to look to the future, consider where God is leading, and take practical steps. We need both visionaries and stewards. We need visionaries that seek together to increase the fruitfulness of what God is doing among us. What new ministry is God calling us to? We also need faithful stewards of the resources that God has given us. Careful is good; but overprotective is not. We need to be thoughtful, practical, and protective of resources without overdoing it. Fortunately, every church seems to have both visionaries and stewards. We need both in order to do the will of God. Isn’t it wonderful that God provides us with both? -Rev. Jim Cotter, Columbus UMC |
| February 2009 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #251 To give means to sacrifice proportionately. “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1 – NRSV) The month of February includes Valentine’s Day, as always, and Ash Wednesday this year. In the King James Version of the Bible, the famous “love poem” in 1 Corinthians 13 uses the word “charity” wherever we modern-day Christians have memorized the poem with the word “love.” Many of us have memorized, “Love is patient; love is kind; it is not arrogant or boastful or rude…Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” The KJV reads, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not……charity never faileth.” New Year’s is gone. Our resolutions are fading. The winter doldrums have set in and there’s an increasing amount of suspicion and fear about the state of our economy. Yet, scripture reminds us that “love never ends” and “charity never faileth.” By giving regularly through the church, we carry out these promises of scripture. Christ didn’t hold back on his love when he willingly went to the cross for us. God didn’t hold back and make the cross the last word. Our faith leads us to give what we can – 10%, 7%, 5%, 1%, more or less. We are called to give in charity and love so that through our lives the world will know that the love of Christ never ends. What is God calling you to give this year? Even if your income has changed dramatically, what is God calling you to give as you make your statement of faith? Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair Thoughts on Charity Eleven year old Hallie sat quietly while the other children in her Sunday School class were talking about their allowances, particularly how low their allowances were in the face of all their expenses. When asked if she thought her allowance was big enough she replied, “Of course, why wouldn’t it be?” When asked how much it was, she replied, “Ten dollars a week.” “It’s enough,” she replied stubbornly. “I give one dollar a week to the church, and put three dollars a week into savings. That leaves six dollars a week to do WHATEVER I want with. As long as I don’t want anything that costs more than six dollars, it’s enough.” “Charity: to love human beings…as God does.” -Simone Weil
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| March 2009 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #252 To give is to Respond Gratefully. God is Good – All the Time! All the Time – God is Good! It’s hard to shout this contemporary statement of faith when we see senior citizens who are trying to go back to work because their incomes have dropped dramatically. Folks of working age have already lost their jobs and others live in fear that they may be next. Yet, God is with us -- and good to us -- all the time. I grew up on a farm where there was no question what the priorities were on Sunday morning. We went to church, probably 50/52 Sundays a year. And no matter what, Mom made sure there was always an offering envelope on the kitchen table for my dad to put in his coat pocket, and coins for each of the four children to place in the offering as well. If the price of milk went up, those gifts were definitely there. If the price of milk went down, they were still there. On weeks when a major piece of equipment broke, they were there. When we were getting ready to leave on one of the very few family vacations we took the offerings were still there. And, whenever someone was sick and one parent stayed home, the rest of us went with our offering in our pocket or purse. I don’t know how much was in my parents’ offering envelope every week. I suspect it may have changed a bit when times were rough. I know that our coin offerings never changed. I didn’t think about it as a child – it was our routine. It was just what we did. Now when I’m tempted to do anything less than put God first, I remember those childhood offerings, and find a way to rearrange my priorities. How are we modeling our faith commitment to the children around us? Remember that how you live your faith makes a difference, and it will make an impression on them as we journey through this “unprecedented” economic time. Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair Biblical Stewardship Principle: To give is to Respond Gratefully. Managing money God’s way can relieve financial stress! Learn more by starting a “Freed-Up Financial Living” class in your church or circuit. Get a 35% discount on books and DVD’s ordered by February 15th at: www.goodsenseministry.com/freedup My dad would sit down at the kitchen table on Saturday evenings. Writing a check. Putting it in the envelope. Setting it on the corner of the kitchen counter next to his car keys. That’s it. He never said anything to my brother and me about stewardship, about giving to God, about the importance of sharing. He just did it. He never missed. He still does it, every Saturday night. It’s a powerful memory, and it goes on. I did not inherit my dad’s organizational skills nor, more honestly, his faithfulness. I have been known to search my purse for a pen while the ushers were coming down the aisle, or to fill out my check for the offering while the pastor was recapping the Gospel lesson. If by some chance the plate went by before I finished – more times than I care to admit – that week’s offering never made it anywhere. But I still remember that envelope sitting by the car keys. And some weeks, I lay my own witness on the kitchen counter for my kids to see. I might even write a bigger check to “catch up.” It’s not a have-to. It’s a want-to – something from my past that allows me to be faithful. From The Abingdon Guide to Funding Ministry, Vol. 3 by Donald Joiner and Norma Wimberly, page 170. Copyright 1997 by Abingdon Press |
| April 2009 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #253 Give Willingly…..”Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar—and to God what belongs to God.” (Matt. 22:21) Every year as we finish up our tax preparation, I’m amazed at how the amount we give in donations compares to the amount we pay in taxes. Our total tax liability, including FICA, is generally 25-30% of our gross income. Our donations total is usually 10-11% of our adjusted gross income. Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. As I finish my taxes and get ready to send them off to be reviewed by our accountant, I’m thankful we’re able to participate as fully as we are in building the household of God through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness. In these days of wild uncertainty in the financial markets, and the stability of our life together in the church, I’m also thankful for those who have encouraged me over the years to include the church in our will. No matter what is in our estate at the time we leave this earth, a full 10% of what is left will be given to the church for a variety of mission and ministry needs. Since the average estate in the United States is $500,000 and many churches tend to average about 10 deaths per year, imagine what might happen to the vision and mission of our local congregations if all of us are able to make this ultimate faith statement by including a percentage gift of our final assets to building the Household of God. Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair Wisconsin Stewardship Stories “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34 How many of us remember that all we have is a gift from God? If we say our faith is in God, it should be in God (God’s giving) and not in the things of this earth (getting). As we grow in our faith, we need to get to the point where our focus isn’t on the getting, but on God’s giving. Every time we’re blessed – through a paycheck, a gift of some sort, or a surprise – do we take time to realize that it all comes from God? My great grandparents lived in the hills of rural North Carolina. The only job my great grandfather could find was working 3rd shift at a textile factory. He brought home $10/week, which didn’t go very far in the mid 1930’s while raising a few children. He continually struggled to make ends meet, so he handed the financial books over to my great grandmother. They weren’t always Christians. In fact, my great grandmother started learning about Jesus through God’s word when she was invited to a Bible study as an adult. She learned about God’s faithfulness, our being thankful for what God has given us, and giving back to God out of thanks. So, as soon as she took control of the family finances she told her husband that they wouldn’t be living off of $10/week, but $9/week. Their first payment each and every week was going to be given back to God. Like so many other tithers, my great grandparents were blessed for the rest of their lives. They never had a whole lot, but they also never had to worry – just like Jesus told us! Our giving is a reflection of our relationship with God. Our giving isn’t about the administrative assistant’s salary, the church bills, the church insurance, or the pastor’s salary. It’s all about our relationship with God. Each and every day, I believe Jesus would ask us, “Where does your treasure lie? Where is the place you want to be most?” |
| May 2009 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #254 To Give is to Share Abundantly “Zaccheus said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor.’” (Luke 19:8a NRSV) Are you 70-1/2 or older? Don’t miss your opportunity to give from an IRA before the end of this year! June retired from teaching a few years ago. At that time she rolled over her retirement plan into an IRA. When she turned 71 last year, June learned that she could give a gift to her church from her IRA. With some additional medical expenses and unexpected travel for family purposes, she was finding it difficult to give her annual gift of $2,000 to the church from her regular monthly income. June attended a Charitable Gifts Seminar at her church led by a member of the Wisconsin U.M. Foundation staff. She learned that she could send a letter to her IRA administrator instructing them to make a “qualified charitable distribution” directly to her church from her IRA account. This provision was made through the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, signed into law on October 3, 2008, which allows IRA rollover gifts to qualified charities through December 31, 2009. June loved the simplicity of the IRA charitable rollover. The $2,000 gift she made did not get reported on her income tax form and she did not have to itemize to take the deduction. The gift was sent to the church, completely tax-free to June. Since the opportunity to make qualified charitable distributions directly from an IRA will end on December 31, 2009, June has decided to make another gift from her IRA this year. She will give her usual $2,000 to the church’s operating budget, and she has decided to give an additional $1,000 to help retire the church’s mortgage. For more information on how you can use the temporary provision that allows donors 70-1/2 or older to make a direct, tax-free rollover of up to $100,000 from a traditional or Roth IRA to your local church or another ministry during 2009, contact us at: Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair What are the benefits to persons 70-1/2 or older of making a direct, tax-free rollover from a traditional or Roth IRA to their church or another United Methodist ministry? The charitable IRA rollover amount is never recognized as income to the donor. Therefore, by giving the gift directly from your traditional or Roth IRA account to the church or another ministry, you avoid making a taxable IRA withdrawal followed by a charitable gift. The money is sent directly from your IRA administrator to the church or other ministries you name and; therefore, is not reported to the IRS as taxable income. For a sample letter visit the Foundation’s website at www.wumf.org. Remember, a charitable IRA rollover, will not affect the amount of the donor’s social security payments that are subject to federal tax. Of course, only donors who are sure they will not need these assets at a later date should consider a charitable IRA Rollover. Donors of any age can still make a deferred gift of an IRA or other retirement account by naming their church (or other ministries) as a beneficiary of the account at their death. IRA rollover gifts may be used to make an outright gift to your church to support the operating budget, the building fund, or any special ministry need this year. Or, the charitable IRA rollover gifts may be used to establish an Endowment Fund – a gift that keeps on giving in perpetuity. For more information on how you or someone you love might make a gift using a charitable IRA Rollover, please contact the Foundation office. |
| June 2009 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH It’s summer time and the ice cream carts are starting to make their rounds. In some places the vendors are on motorized carts, others use push carts and some ride bikes. All of them are eventually surrounded by excited patrons of all ages looking for a cool treat. Is ice cream a need or a want? That is the question late at night when I want something cool and sweet, but it’s the last thing I need! Ice cream isn’t the only temptation we face as summer begins to emerge. Vacations, graduations, family reunions, picnics with family and friends all call for extra travel and special food items. With these pressures and temptations we may be wondering how we can be faithful stewards, especially in these tough economic times. Each of us has to answer this question in our own way. What is God calling us to give? Praising God is something we all NEED to do as Christians to feed our souls. We need to continue praising God through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness even as the temptations of summer abound. As you consider your gifts, choose an amount to dedicate in praise to God that allows you to feel at peace. Choose a regular amount of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, or 10% and offer that gift first, before you buy extra treats this summer. If you’re preparing for a vacation this summer, even if you’re staying a lot closer to home than usual, consider this: It’s a lot easier to send your offering to the church before you go on vacation than to come up with two Sundays’ worth when you get back. If you give it to God first to say “thank you” for the opportunity to go on vacation, you’ll have a sense of the peace that comes from following the Great Commandment Jesus gave that we should love God FIRST – with all our hearts and souls and minds and strength – and our neighbors as ourselves. Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation |
Helps for the Stewardship Chair An Attitude of Gratitude Being grateful is a way to control toxic stress. It can improve our sleep patterns and give us a better night’s rest. Try something for the next month: Either journal or share verbally with another person what you are grateful for each day and end your day with a prayer of gratitude. When we end our day with a focus on our gratitude, we tend to sleep better, with more REM cycles (Rapid Eye Movement) and less unwanted wake ups. We all know that a good night’s sleep is essential to good health, and good health is important for a good life. It is said that even on a bad day there is something good. However, we need to get rid of the ANTS (automatic negative thoughts) to see the good. Journaling or sharing our gratitude helps us remove the ANTS from our brain, giving us greater power over our fears, anxieties, bitterness and insomnia. It helps us build courage, enthusiasm, and more joyful and positive relationships. Intentionally focusing on our gratitude helps us to see the hidden gift even in the hard times. If you’re still having trouble getting rid of those pesky ANTS, remember the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity |
| July 2009 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #256 Giving means keeping life in balance. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted … (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NRSV) In Genesis 41, Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream as a revelation of seven lean years of famine following seven years of plenty. He then led Egypt to plan and prepare for the lean years. Joseph encouraged the people to balance their lives, storing up grain in such abundance “that he stopped measuring it; it was beyond measure.” (Genesis 41:49 NRSV) Unfortunately, we did not listen to the “Joseph’s” in our midst during the years of the 90’s when we experienced incredible gains in the markets and elsewhere in the economy. Instead of saving, we spent and spent some more. Now that the “lean years” are upon us, it’s difficult for us to see beyond them. Let’s think outside-the-box about plans and alternatives for “lean years.” First, how can our circuit churches cooperate to provide the outreach ministries needed in each geographic area? Consider letting each congregation develop a “specialty”. For example, one congregation might become the center for a food or clothing pantry, another for youth ministry, another for senior ministry, and another for classes to assist people in developing faithful money management skills. Second, encourage people to focus more on God’s abundance and less on human scarcity and greed. As Christians, we believe that God owns everything. It’s not ours in the first place. How can we share who we are and what we have, to make sure everyone has “enough”? And third, let’s encourage each other to give to God and the ministry of Christ “off the top” rather than with what is “left over.” Budget and set aside a percentage gift, even if your income is cut, you can give 2, 3, 5, 7 or 10%. Giving regularly feeds our souls as it also ensures that our churches remain a “light on the hill” in these lean years. Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair Giving means keeping life in balance. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted … (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NRSV) Here are some improvisations on this familiar text about balancing the “seesaw” of life: A time to break down our budgets – at home or church – in new ways, and a time to build them up by asset mapping; A time to weep for recession, unemployment and homelessness, and a time to meet doom-sayers with humor and hope; A time to mourn for the time of famine of contemporary families, and a time to dance with our faithful volunteers; A time to embrace generosity, and a reminder to refrain from embracing consumerism; A time to keep – recycle, re-use, renew – in church and home – and a time to throw away responsibly; A time to tear our clothes on a mission trip with teens, and a time to knit prayer shawls in the parlor; A time to love our children enough to teach them stewardship, and a wake up call whenever and wherever they learn hatred for themselves or others; A time-out for war, and an always time-enough to work for peace … a peace for every season that blesses God’s purpose under heaven. Maren C. Tirabassi, Pilgrim Press author and UCC pastor |
| August 2008 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #245 “Giving is Fun!” Blake was so tired one night in the middle of the mission trip that he fell asleep at the table during supper! When he got home he was sick for a week, became dehydrated and had to spend time in the Emergency Room. Now that he's recovered, his pastor asked him, "If you had known ahead of time that you were going to get so sick, would you have gone anyway?" Blake quickly responded, "Of course! Those people have to live like that all the time. We only had to do it for one week. And, we were able to build some things to help make their lives a little better." God gives us time, talents and treasures to use for God's glory. They are not gifts given to us to store in bigger barns for ourselves. They are like seeds, given to us to plant in good, rich soil so that they can bear the fruit of God's love for us to share with the world. We often feel the temptation to use all the blessings that come to our own lives for our own benefit. Our Christian faith, however, invites us to live in community. Jesus calls us to TITHE, SHARE, and SACRIFICE from all our blessings. How will you use your time, talents, and treasures to make a joyful difference for God this month? Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair Stewardship begins when God is put first. Stewardship is both our gift from God and our response to God. When people of the church become excited about the mission and ministry of the church, they want to be involved. Stewardship teaches that all we have and all we are is a gift from God. We are stewards of God’s gifts during our lifetime. They gifts we have been given – time, talent, and money – are to be used for God’s purpose. One role of the church is to guide individuals to discern the mission for our lives and the use of all our resources in accomplishing God’s purpose for our lives.
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| September 2008 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #246 “You cannot serve God and Money.” (Matt. 6:24) 10 Reasons I Love Giving to the United Methodist Church:
-Jean Ehnert Nicholas Why do you love to give to the United Methodist Church? Tell us and we will share your ideas with others. Please contact us at: Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair Wisconsin Stewardship Stories The following story is the first in a series of stewardship stories that we will share from individuals throughout the Wisconsin Annual Conference. If you have a stewardship story or idea to share, please send it to us today. All items submitted are done so with the understanding that permission is granted by the author to the Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation for the purpose of sharing items in this forum with other United Methodist churches. The Cost of an Ice Cream Cone As a child, I took 5 pennies or a nickel to church every Sunday as my offering for Sunday School. That was the cost of an ice cream cone. Around this time, I became aware that my father, a farmer, put $6 in his envelope each week. This was no small gift in those days. When I had children of my own, an ice cream cone cost 50 cents, ten times what I gave as a child. My children took 2 quarters to Sunday School. To keep pace with my father's gift, I needed to give $60 per week. Today, an ice cream cone costs at least $1.50. To keep up with my father's giving, I must give $180 per week. Who is your giving role model? Kathleen Jones |
| October 2008 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #247 Giving Is … sharing. “God's gifts and God's call are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29 NIV Everything we have is a gift from God. We often hear, “You can’t take it with you.” Yet how many of us have included the church in our will? Every one of us will die one day, and many of us will be richer the day we die than we ever were while we were alive. The day we die, the assets we had just the day before will still be ours. But we won’t need them! Plus, we’ll have the life insurance policies we’ve paid premiums on. God has given us all these treasures and God continues to call us to be faithful stewards of these gifts – in life, in death, and life beyond death. In order to do so, we need a will. Either the court will decide the final disposition of our assets, or we can. If we prefer to decide what will happen to the many gifts God has given us, (including our children, money, property, and pets) all we need to do is write a will by ourselves or with the help of an attorney. In order to make this final, ultimate faith statement, include a very simple sentence that says, “After all my bills are paid, I want 10 percent of my estate to go to the United Methodist Church where I hold my membership at the time of my death.” Of course you can name a specific church (be sure to include the address) or ministry. Or your attorney can assist you with the proper language. You might also consider having a percentage of your estate sent to the Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation to be distributed according to your most recent Letter of Instruction placed on file with the Foundation. For more information on the importance of writing a will, including the church in your will, or utilizing a Letter of Instruction to distribute your charitable bequests, please contact us at: Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair Giving Is … sharing. Getting ready for Halloween usually means finding a costume, the appropriate make-up, and the biggest goodie bag ever. Halloween celebrations can also be a time to teach children (and adults) about giving, when you invite them to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Most children tend to become very excited about this opportunity to help other children have clean water to drink, medicine, and warm blankets. Once they’ve been invited to turn the rather greedy tradition of trick-or-treating into a way to help “the least of these,” children seem grateful for the chance to give. And those they visit tend to respond with enthusiasm and gratitude as well. Let’s not overlook the ways our children can be encouraged to be good stewards and leaders in living the gospel of Christ among us, throughout the upcoming holiday season. In order to make Halloween count this year, visit the following website: http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat to order collection boxes, or to print out a canister wrapper to create your own. Then go door-to-door on Halloween – or create your own fundraiser – and ask everyone to help you raise money for kids around the world! Once you've collected the money, send it to UNICEF to help save kids lives. Print out a donation form off the website and then send it with a check or money order to: Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
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| November 2008 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #248 Giving is … thankful stewardship. “No More Barns” Read Luke 12: 13-21 Jesus cautions … “Take Care! Be on you guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Our society has taught us to dream big. We are taught to accumulate, invest, and enjoy life to the maximum. Our slogan is, “Charity begins at home!” But I think Jesus would say…charity does not end there. Economic downturns have a way of reminding us how temporary life really is. Perhaps the most important words of this parable occur in Luke 12:20 following God’s announcement to the rich man that his life would end on the very night he was celebrating his abundant harvest. “And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” Good stewardship means making plans to pass on all that we do not need. If you are ready to begin making plans, call the Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation. We can help you make good plans. Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair IRA Rollover Passes for 2008/2009!Good News! The IRA Charitable Rollover Passed!We have just received word that IRA owners age 70-1/2 and older may make gifts directly from their Traditional or Roth IRAs to charities, including their local United Methodist Churches, in 2008 and 2009. The specific legislation is listed below: In "Division C -- the Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008" of H.R. 1424, Congress extended an excellent charitable planning opportunity for both 2008 and 2009. This act permits an IRA owner age 70½ or older to make a direct transfer to charity. The transfer may be up to $100,000 in one year and this IRA rollover will exist for year 2008 and year 2009. Sec. 408(d)(8)(A). To transfer a gift to your church or another United Methodist Ministry, all you have to do is:
*For sample letters, call the Foundation toll-free at 1-888-903-9863. Remember, you may request that this gift to charity be counted as part of your required minimum distribution, if you have not already received it this year. Gifts made with this transfer from your IRA do not increase your federal taxable income nor would they impact Social Security payments you receive. For further information, contact your tax advisor or contact the Foundation. |
| December 2008 | [Top of Page] |
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A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH #249 Give to Grow Spiritually – "For a child has been born -- for us!... and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings." (Isaiah 9:6-7, The Message.) The gift of Christmas and its services with music and lights and candles are experiences we all want to be able to pass on to our children and grandchildren. This gift is priceless. Perhaps one of the “good news” byproducts of the current economic recession is that we are being forced to re-evaluate our financial priorities. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:21) As you prepare for the holidays, how will you give testimony to your faith in the gifts you give?
Best wishes for a blessed Christmas. Please call us if we can assist you in making any of these gifts to your church. Call us today – it’s our ministry! Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
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Helps for the Stewardship Chair The following resources are from the Wisconsin Conference Board of Church and Society, designed to help all of us support a non-commercial Christmas. Consider a “Simple Home” Christmas: If you’re going to give a gift… |
Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation
750 Windsor St. Suite 305, PO Box 620, Sun Prairie WI 53590-0620
Local:(608)837-9582, Toll Free:(888)903-9863, Fax:(608)837-2492
E-mail: wumf@wumf.org