Trinity Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville, North Carolina

Sowing the Seeds for a Bountiful Harvest

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
Second Corinthians 9:10

In years past, Trinity has presented Asking Budgets for your consideration of how we can spend our monies. This year we will be celebrating how we spent the 2008 funds and asking you how we can dream of spending our funds in 2009 from the funds that you plan to provide to Trinity. These celebrations and dreams will be discussed in the coming months through convenient small group meetings. The Stewardship Committee of Dick Wheeler (Chair), Mark Stanley, Deeana Bennett, Susan Kincaid, Jim Kisner, Ben Moore, and Glenn Walker invite you to join this year’s Stewardship Campaign.

The Stewardship Ministry

Trinity Memorial Fund

Undesignated contributions to Trinity’s Memorial Fund have accumulated to $39,000 during recent years. Trinity Session has charged the Endowment Committee to:

Incorporate all Memorial funds into the newly established Trinity Memorial Legacy Fund, unless a specific purpose is provided by donors or the family of the deceased. The Church Treasurer, upon receiving direction for a specific purpose, shall insure that this money is distributed as desired.

Invest all Memorial Legacy Funds in the Presbyterian Foundation Balanced growth account in order to grow their value while awaiting distribution.

Annually, provide the Session with recommended distributions from the Trinity Memorial Legacy Fund. In general, it is anticipated that the Memorial Legacy Fund would support projects that are consistent with memorials, too small to be highlighted in a Capital Drive, and too large to be supported by the budget.

The Finance Ministry will insure that the appropriate correspondence is prepared on a timely basis to acknowledge donors to Memorial Funds, both to thank them for their gift & to insure them that the funds have been received.

If you are a donor [or a family member of a deceased] of a recent Memorial Fund, and desire that your contribution be distributed to a specific purpose, rather than be incorporated into the Trinity Memorial Legacy Fund, please inform a member of the Endowment Committee within 30 days of receiving this Tidings. All remaining funds shall be incorporated into the Trinity Memorial Legacy Fund after that date. [It is our belief that prior memorial gifts that were directed toward a specific purpose have been distributed as directed.]

Planning For the Future of our Church

Trinity’s Endowment Committee continues to develop programs that will meet the financial needs of Trinity Presbyterian Church’s long term needs for the future. We can offer various ways to do this through our Presbyterian Foundation which provides arrangements for both designated and undesignated gifts.

At a certain stage in life, we often begin to think about end of life plans and how to do good with the assets we leave behind. We are perhaps amongst the last generation who can secure our church for the future. Naturally there are considerations for family, taxes and other worthwhile causes. The Endowment Committee believes that one of these giving arrangements will make it easy for each of us to consider how we can be part of the legacy of this place we call our Church home.

Generally, planned giving involves financial or estate planning. Planned gifts can also be outright gifts of appreciated property like securities or real estate, or they can be deferred gifts. However, planned giving is not reserved for the wealthy. You may want to consider making a bequest as you prepare your will or write an addendum to your existing will that will provide a specific amount or a percentage of your estate to Trinity Presbyterian Church. Studies have shown that some 50% or more of church members die without a will. The Endowment Committee will be happy to assist you in preparing wills and trusts that include gifts to Trinity Presbyterian Church.

There are also those who would like to make a gift, but need income from the assets during their lifetime. A life income gift, such as a gift annuity, pooled income fund or a charitable remainder trust will insure that you receive income during your lifetime, or joint lifetime of you and your spouse, receive favorable tax treatment and ultimately provide a gift to Trinity Presbyterian Church.

We will work with individuals and families to assist them in making a decision about a lifetime or end of life gift to Trinity Presbyterian Church. For more information, please contact Don Shimon, Chair of Trinity’s Endowment Committee, at 696-2360 dfshimon@mchsi.com. If you prefer to contact Dale Le Count – the Western North Carolina representative for the Presbyterian Foundation, you may reach him at 888-711-1318 or RDL@FDN.PCUSA.ORG