Stewardship
Good
Stewardship Does Matter
We are blessed with outstanding pastors having exceptional abilities in
preaching and teaching the Word of God and in comforting those in times
of need. A major benefit to our pastors and staff members is the support
that they receive from caring and talented church member volunteers. These
volunteers are being good stewards of their time and talent.
Being good stewards of our
time, talent and treasure is important in the life of our church as well
as in the lives of those who volunteer their time. Our members provide
over 2,000 volunteer hours each month in support of various projects and
programs at First Pres. If you are one of those dedicated volunteers,
“THANK YOU;” your service is helping in so many ways.
The Stewardship Ministry and your pastors strongly believe that our Stewardship
motto: “Stewardship is everything we do after we say ‘I Believe’”
should be an important tenet in all of our lives. If you have not yet
found the place where you would like to serve your Lord as a volunteer,
please pray that the Lord will lead you to get involved through service
in one or more areas of the life of our church.
Many of our dedicated members also provide the funds needed to keep our
church alive and vibrant. All of the expenses of our church are paid for
through tithes and offerings. We receive no financial support from any
other sources. The Bible clearly states that everything we have comes
from our Lord and that God wants us to be good stewards or our time, talent
and our treasure. 
Giving back to the Lord the
first ten percent of our income, a tithe, is a principle of stewardship
that is often stated in the Bible. If you are not yet tithing, please
pray that the Lord will show you how you can move towards becoming a joyful,
tithing church member.
If you would like to talk to someone about where your talents may best
be used at First Pres. in the service of your Lord, or about approaches
that have worked for others as they have strived to support their Lord
through a tithe of their income, please contact me at richard@recspecs.org
or 818-886-3323.
In His service,
Dick Shively, Chairperson of Stewardship Ministries
Keeping
Pledges
The church budget for the year
was adopted based on all our member’s commitments being met on a
weekly or monthly basis. Please do your part to keep your pledge current.
If you find that you are in a situation where you will be unable to meet
your commitment for 2008, the Finance Commission would greatly appreciate
it if you would confidentially contact Sheila Koster, Controller, at your
earliest convenience.
Planned
Giving Ministry
Since the beginning of First
Pres. we have been blessed with the support of special members and friends.
To continue this tradition, a new ministry has begun to help you with
this very generous support. The future of the church depends on the generosity
of not only your weekly, monthly or yearly giving, but the planned gifts,
via wills and trust arrangements that will ensure the continuation of
God’s work for many years to come. Whether you have a sizeable estate
or a modest accumulation of assets, planned gifts just don’t happen.
They are a decision that best suits you and your charitable goals. By
including the church in your will or trust, you will leave a legacy that
will be enjoyed by future generations.
New
IRA Rules
Did
you know that during the year 2007 individuals age 70 1/2 and older may
now transfer up to $100,000 directly from an IRA to a qualified charity
(i.e. the donor must direct the IRA manager to transfer the fund directly
to the donee which must be a tax-exempt organization such as First Pres.).
Additionally, because of this Pension Protection Act (signed into action
August 17, 2006) a couple may be able to transfer as much as $400,000
if they both have IRA’s. These contributions are excluded from the
donor’s gross income and are therefore tax free!
We welcome your questions or comments. Please contact June Waugh, Elder,
Planned Giving Ministry, or call Pastor Jim at the church office.
The
80/20 Endowment Fund
The First Pres. 80/20 Endowment
Fund was established a few years ago, where 80% of the fund earnings could
be used for ministry and mission of the church. We are pleased to tell
you that $2,598.76 has been earned as distributable proceeds for the ministry
and mission of the church. This money has been deposited into the church’s
“General Funds” for the 2008 budget year.
We can also receive other securities (stocks, bonds, etc.) without selling them first. An example, if you have a 30 or 40% Capital Gains Tax on your holding, you don’t have to sell it and pay the tax. You can give it to the 80/20 Endowment Fund and get a 100% deduction. Thank you for your consideration.
Estate
Planning
What is the first thing you
think of when someone mentions estate planning? If you said a will, you
are not alone. For many people a will is the cornerstone of a well-organized
estate plan, yet there is more to consider.
Estate planning is the process
of managing accumulated assets for the present and the future. It is a
way to protect, preserve and distribute your assets during your lifetime
and upon your death. Estate planning may even reduce the tax consequences
on current assets and future estate taxes. The Endowment Committee would
like you to consider the Endowment Fund as part of your estate
planning.
The Endowment Fund was established by the Session to ensure further financial stability for the expanding work of Christ in and through our church and is a perpetual fund. Resources for the fund are from donations, charitable gifts, will bequests, and other planned gifts. If you are interested in learning more about the Endowment Fund please contact Sheila Koster, Controller, in the church office (818) 360-1831 or Bill Johnson, Chairman of the Endowment Committee.
Elder
for Planned Giving
Elder
for Stewardship & Finance
Elder
for Stewardship & Finance