LOVE DEMANDS PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
At Union Church Berea, we believe that God has called us to be faithful stewards of all the gifts we are given, including our financial gifts. It takes money to maintain our mission and also to maintain our physical facilities and staff so that we will be able to meet that mission well. We take great effort to ensure that the church organization and its members are partnering together in all our financial and other stewardship programs. Financial reports and statements are always available, and we have regular congregational and budget meetings in which we see to it that every member has an opportunity to have a say in what our short- and long-term goals and missions will be, and how our money will be spent to accomplish those goals and missions.
One way to ensure that our beloved community will remain vital and active for years and generations to come is our endowment fund. An endowment fund exists for the purpose of building and maintaining income that can be used without reducing principle. That way, we can be sure that the Union Church that is held in the future by our children and grandchildren—and theirs—will benefit as much from this income as we do now. Our hope is that once the fund reaches a useful size, it will help to stabilize the church’s finances and needs, reducing volatility (and anxiety!)
After much prayerful discussion, study, research, and education, our congregation voted to create a Union Church Endowment fund with Thrivent/InFaith Community Foundation [link to infaithfound.org] on December 9, 2018. We decided that nothing would be used from this fund for the first three years after the initial investment, or until it reaches $500,000.
We determined that the fund would consist of three accounts: two designated (only able to be used for a stated purpose) and one undesignated (able to be used for whatever the congregation chooses):
- Building and Grounds account—proceeds from this will be used for capital projects, improvements, or repairs of Union Church’s physical properties. This account was established with an initial investment of $25,000 on August 15, 2019.
- Mission and Service account—to support church and community service, social justice, and charitable giving projects.
- Undesignated account—to be used for whatever the congregation decides. Undesignated donations go to this fund.
The fund is administered by a committee of four: one (non-voting) member of the Finance Committee, the Treasurer, one elected from and by Church Council, and one elected from the congregation, usually for a three-year term. The full duties of this committee may be found at Endowment Fund Policies and Procedures. You may also find all the nuts-and-bolts details of the endowment fund there.
An endowment fund (or indeed, any financial plan of a church) is only successful if the people who love the church and consider its work important know about it and support it. You can donate to any of these three funds at any time, in any amount. InFaith’s current minimum is $1000, so if you can donate that much at once, you may donate directly to InFaith if you prefer. Smaller gifts will be held at the church until the minimum is reached, and all sent in together.
Love demands that every person count, and therefore, every penny counts, too!
Union Church Endowment Donations
- Date:
- Donor name and address:
- Gift amount:
- Payment type:
- Check/reference number:
- Designation (undesignated will to go to undesignated account):
- Acknowledgement type and date:
- Memory/Honor of:
- Comments:
