Endowments, Estates, Wills and Mission
You have recently read in the bulletin, the weekly email, and also heard from the pulpit that we have a Mission Endowment that gives money to ministries and non-profits that are providing missional work to those in need. We also try to give a little bit of a scholarship to our graduating seniors.
How did the endowment come to be? We actually have two endowments. One is the Mission Endowment which I just explained. The other is the General Endowment, and the money that comes from that is spent on upkeep for the church (like helping with a new sound system during COVID). For the most part, the money given to these endowments had come from members who have given via their estates or wills. We only spend half of the income from the endowment in any given year, and the other half is folded back in.
We had our first (in several decades) planned giving dinner a few weeks back. This was an opportunity to talk about St. Cross's sustainability in the future for generations to come. The church is indeed changing, and strong endowments will allow us to adapt to those changes through the years. Kathy Shinkle and Charlotte Lesser have agreed to co-chair our Sarah Alice Beane Legacy Society---this is for those who have signed a commitment to give to St. Cross via their estates, so we can continue to serve the South Bay and beyond in the future.
Thank you to Bill and Carol Watkins, Kathy Shinkle, John Horger, Laura Geisel, Bill and Judy Soper, Wanda Arcos, Steve and Cathy May, Patsy Brierley, Ricardo and Carol Reznichek, Becky Simms, Charlotte and Russ Lesser, Katherine Crockett, Dave and Dina Ferguson, and Chad Druten for committing to including St. Cross in your estate planning. If you have already done so and you don't see your name, please contact Charlotte or Kathy so we can update our files. If you would like to know how YOU can include St. Cross in your estate, or a charitable gift annuity, or any other gift to the church, please contact Kathy or Charlotte (or me when I return).
My prayer is for St. Cross to be a beacon of faith, where generations continue to serve others as a sign of God's love.
Peace,
Rachel+
