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Dear charitable follower of Jesus,
We are now in the “prime time for giving.” Many experts in philanthropy tell us that 75-90% of all American charitable giving takes place at this time of the year. What are you doing to make sure your members understand that the best place to direct their philanthropy is your congregation, your area Lutheran high school or WELS agency, and our synod?
One giving opportunity is a charitable gift annuity (CGA) through WELS Foundation. A CGA is convenient because a member can make a current gift and yet receive quarterly annuity payments for the rest of his or her life. When the Lord calls the member home to heaven, the residual from the gift annuity is distributed to any WELS ministry as directed by the donor. An advertisement in the November Forward in Christ magazine highlights the benefits of a CGA and includes the current annuity rates. You can also promote CGAs to your members using this month’s reprintable resources.
I encourage you to make the most of this time of the year. The messages you are delivering give our people all the encouragement they need to be charitable, even in the midst of tough economic times. The message of the end time season reminds each of us that heaven is going to be our eternal home. The message of “Thanksgiving” reminds us that every last thing we have and hold is a gift from God. The message of Christmas reminds us that God gave us the greatest gift of all when he sent his son to be the Lamb that would take away all our sins.
In Our Savior’s Service,
Dave Liggett
WELS Director of Christian Giving
Please send comments regarding this issue of An Encouraging Word to: dave.liggett@wels.net
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November 2009
