Legacy Giving

All of us are indebted to the past, to those who precede us. We enjoy liberties we have not won. We share faith whose foundations we have not laid.

We are called to partner in faith with those who have gone before us, to support this church’s mission–making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world–even after our own lifetimes, and to offer the best that we have to give to those who will follow.

We sow seeds of the future, for those who will succeed us. We dream and envision and set things in motion. The fruition of our decisions will be known only to others whom we may never meet.

In 2014, the Trustees of First United Methodist Church formed an endowment committee to educate our members and supporters about the church’s endowment and encourage them to prayerfully consider leaving a “legacy gift” to the church. A legacy gift is distinct from regular giving to the church and can take many forms:

• A bequest in your will
• A gift of real estate
• Naming the church as a beneficiary to your life insurance or retirement plan
• The creation of a gift annuity

Throughout the life of FUMC, our members have left these types of gifts enabling many great ministries as well as the maintenance and upkeep of our beautiful and historic facility.
In the Fall of 2015, FUMC’s Endowment Committee formed the Hebrews 11 Society.

The Hebrews 11 Society is comprised of people who have shown their faith “in things hoped for” by giving, or planning to give, a legacy gift to the endowment of FUMC. The names of those in the Hebrews 11 Society are listed each year on All Saints Sunday; not to boast, but to witness to the generous grace of our God. Please prayerfully consider making a legacy gift.

Make a gift after your lifetime through your will or trust. This can be a fixed dollar amount, a specific asset, or a percentage of your estate. 

This can be the most heavily taxed asset in many estates. Choosing this as your gift might leave your less tax-burdened assets to your loved ones. 

Contributing property after your lifetime or when it is no longer needed can be a game-changing gift. 

Trusts can combine flexible benefits including a generous income, tax benefits, and a powerful gift to First United Methodist Church. 

Paid-up whole life policies can be ideal items to donate to the church. 

General Endowment: Gifts to the General Endowment fund special needs and ministries as determined by our church leaders. This type of fund is also referred to as an “unrestricted endowment.”

Designated Fund: You can designate that your gift is used for specific purposes, for example, Youth, Music, TV Ministry, Missions, etc. This type of fund is also referred to as a “restricted endowment.”