26 May Hold That Thought… Milestones in the Making
Several significant accomplishments are in my thoughts today. First, there are two staff members that have reached milestones which we are celebrating. Skip Yingling recently completed the process of becoming a Certified Church Musician within our denomination. This recognition comes after a couple of years, and many steps, of working toward this goal. We are most proud of Skip, giving thanks for all that he means to the life of our church. How blessed we are to have him lead us in music in so many creative ways.
The other staff member to be recognized this week is our beloved Kathleen Wilder. Unbelievably, Kathleen has now served our church and its senior pastors for twenty-five years! There is no doubt that she has brought more joy to our members than we will ever know. Her caring and compassionate attitude touches everyone who is graced by her presence. It has been my pleasure to work with Kathleen on a daily basis for the last eight years. Like you, I am truly amazed at the work she does, and the spirit in which she does it. May we be blessed by her gifts for many years to come!
Finally, I want to share a milestone that has been a long time in the making. Our endowment funds have been in place since 1992. Through the years the amounts have grown proportionately with the financial markets. While some restricted funds have been used for specific purposes, the funds have generally operated as long-term savings for the church. Now, at last, we are in a position to use the endowed funds as they were intended—to benefit the community in ways beyond our annual operating budget. For the first time, our Session recently approved recommendations to spend up to $43,000 of earned income (from the principal) through these funds. These one-time community gifts are in addition to the regular benevolent giving from our church.
My hope is that each of us will consider leaving a portion of our estate to this end. The First Legacy program that is now in place for our church will enhance these efforts for many years to come. For more information has to how you can share in this generosity, click here or contact our church office (843-448-4496). Stewardship beyond our lifetime is yet another way to be faithful with our God-given resources. We are so blessed…
Peace, John
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