Introduction to Planned Giving for St. Philip Lutheran Church

The Finance Committee and Congregation Council have worked this year to create the St. Philip Lutheran Legacy Endowment Fund.

For seventy years, St. Philip Lutheran Church has been a place where faith has been nurtured, lives have been shaped, and Christ’s love has been shared. Our ministry today is built on the faithful gifts, prayers, and commitments of those who came before us.

Up to this point, nearly all of our giving has been focused on the present. But as we look toward the next seventy years, we’re invited to expand our vision. The St. Philip Lutheran Legacy Endowment Fund is stewardship that reaches into the future—an opportunity to leave a legacy of faith.

Planned giving isn’t only for the wealthy. Through gifts in wills, estate plans, or beneficiary designations of insurance policies, we can help support the ministries we love for generations to come through the St. Philip Lutheran Legacy Endowment Fund.

Today is a special and exciting moment in the life of our congregation. We introduce and celebrate the launch of the St. Philip Lutheran Legacy Fund — our new planned giving endowment fund.

This fund represents a faithful vision for the future: a permanent resource that will help sustain and strengthen the ministries, mission, and witness of St. Philip Lutheran Church for generations to come. Gifts to the Legacy Fund will be invested wisely, with only the earnings (and not the principal) used to support our ongoing work in worship, education, outreach, care for those in need, and sharing the Gospel in our community and beyond.

You may be wondering: What exactly is planned giving?

In simple terms, planned giving — sometimes called legacy giving — is the intentional decision to include charitable gifts to our church in your overall financial and estate planning. These are thoughtful, future-oriented gifts that often come through tools such as:

•  A bequest in your will or trust

•  Naming the church as a beneficiary of a retirement account, life insurance policy, or other assets

•  Or other arrangements like charitable gift annuities that can provide benefits during your lifetime

Unlike our regular offerings and annual stewardship, planned gifts typically come from accumulated assets rather than current income. They allow each of us — no matter our financial circumstances — to make a meaningful, lasting impact that far exceeds what we might be able to give in our day-to-day giving. It is a beautiful way to say “thank you” to God for His blessings and to ensure that the ministries we cherish today can continue to bless others tomorrow.

The St. Philip Lutheran Legacy Fund is our congregation’s commitment to good stewardship of these special gifts — preserving them in perpetuity so that the light of Christ continues to shine brightly here long after we have passed the torch to the next generations.

Within this website you will find some resources to help you before meeting with your estate attorney and financial planner to ask for giving to St. Philip Lutheran Legacy Fund be a part of your overall estate plan. 

See any Endowment Committee members with any questions, Bruce Trant, Carol Mason, Suzanne Zeok or Shelley Bower..