Timeless Investments in Faith
Purpose:
Chester United Methodist Church is pleased to offer an endowment program. This program will educate the congregation about alternative forms of giving and provide opportunities for legacy gifts that will positively impact the lives of our congregation, and ministry for many years to come.
Gift Opportunities:
Cash Contributions: This provision is an easy and convenient way to participate in the Endowment Fund.
A Bequest in Your Will: This plan offers an excellent way to make a significant gift to your church. You may designate in your will a percentage or dollar amount of your estate to the fund.
Life Insurance: The Endowment Fund may be named the beneficiary of an existing insurance policy, or a new policy may be purchased specifically for this purpose.
Real Estate Gifts: Land, houses, or other buildings may be donated to the fund. Property can be donated outright. In the case of your home, you retain full rights and privileges of ownership and benefits from your home for the rest of your life or until such time as you wish.
Stocks, Bonds, Other Securities: Any of these can be donated to the fund and, depending on the situation, can be a tax advantage to the donor.
What is an Endowment?
An endowment is a gift to the church which can be invested by the church to produce future income. The income is then used to expand and enhance the programs and ministry of our church. Endowment funds give our church an added dimension. The endowment fund principal is never used, thus a contribution becomes a great way to leave a legacy to the church and continue the work of our Lord in perpetuity.
Is an Endowment Gift Tax Deductible?
Absolutely! Just like any gift to the church, it is deductible under the same provisions as your annual pledge to the general fund or capital campaign.
How Will the Church Invest My Gift?
The CUMC Endowment Committee has the responsibility to invest the funds. This will be done through the Virginia United Methodist Foundation, and all investments will adhere to the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church. Currently, the Virginia Conference Foundation professionally manages over $46 million in the fund.
Is There a Minimum Amount I Can Give as an Endowment?
No, however contributions are often grouped together in order to receive maximum income from the investment vehicle. In this way, every member can participate. Gifts of $10,000.00 or more may be designated as a named memorial by the donor for a specific purpose approved by the Endowment Committee.
Does an Endowment Gift Replace my Responsibility to Pledge to the Annual Budget and Capital Funds Campaign?
No, an endowment does not offset the church’s operating costs or its mortgage payments. Members should never reduce giving through pledges to establish an endowment. God has blessed each of us through CUMC and its programs. An endowment gift is one of the ways we can express our appreciation and ensure that God’s work continues.
A Message from Our Pastor
As Christians, we are called to be vessels of God’s mercy, grace, and love. Our lives can have a huge impact on the lives of others.
What would you like for the legacy of your life to be?
When we give to our church’s endowment fund, we make a way for our lives to impact future generations. It is a gift that keeps giving.
What a wonderful way to be a good steward of all that God has entrusted to you.
As those who have been blessed by being a part of Chester United Methodist Church, let us give generously in life and in our final arrangements that the lives of others might also be blessed by this church.