A Guide: How to Give and What to Give…

As you prayerfully consider leaving a bequest or making a current gift to endowed Faith Funds at First Church, please consider the Biblical guide to tithe (10%) while we are living, and consider applying it to your giving after death. Here are some facts and information about planning your giving so that you take your financial support to another level.

•  Gifting assets outright – options include cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, insurance policies, and certain other assets to make a current gift to benefit any of the existing FUMC endowments. Or you may choose to create a new endowment fund in your name or that of a loved one, for the support of ministries and programs that fit the mission of FUMC.

•  Creating a life income gift to the church is a creative way to make a deferred gift while living, but benefit from additional annual income. This type of gift is in the form of a trust or gift annuity. Upon your death, the remainder of the property becomes a gift bequest to FUMC.

•  Making a bequest through simple changes to your will allows you to make a gift upon your death to an existing endowment, or to create a named endowment with a specific purpose. The bequest can be a specific dollar amount, a specific property or asset, a percentage of your estate, or by naming FUMC to receive the residue of your estate – the portion left after the expenses of administering your estate have been paid and all other bequests have been distributed.

Your gift, when combined with the gifts of others in an endowed fund, is an investment that will continue to grow and to create support for the future of First Church. No gift is too small. It is a testament to your faith. We stand ready to meet with you in person or by telephone, to answer your questions, or to study and pray with you or other family members or advisors, as you see fit.  You may want to talk with your own professional advisors about your will and the potential federal estate tax benefit of a charitable bequest. Remember that the resources and staff of First United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Foundation are available to help church members.