Question: I understand that First Mile Giving goes into the General Operating Budget, which supports the daily ministry work of the church. Which church funds are supported by Second Mile Giving?
Great question. Yes, First Mile Giving through your basic offering, pledge, and/or tithe goes into direct financial support for the General Operating Budget.
Second Mile Giving supports a number of various funds that the church holds for specific ministry purposes and needs, so that funds are available when a designated need arises. Here is a list of the main designated categories, both non-Endowment and Endowment Trust Fund categories.
Non-Endowment Designated Fund Categories:
- Pastors’ Discretionary Fund - to be used at the discretion of the pastors when a need arises, usually for someone who needs assistance and has nowhere else to turn
- Children, Youth, and Family Fund - This fund was started in 2020 to help fund a pastoral position to help the church strengthen our Children, Youth, and Families ministry. For 2022, the Finance Committee has set a goal to raise $100,000 for this fund with the hopes of making it a permanent fund to help fund this ministry for the long-term.
- Memorial Fund - a fund set up to receive specific donations given in memory of a loved one, usually soon after the death of that loved one. Recently, the Finance Committee has used the Memorial Fund to purchase technology equipment for the sanctuary for live streaming and upgrades to our Audio-Visual equipment in the Fellowship Hall
- Music Memorial Fund - gifts to this fund are used to provide guest musicians for worship at Christmas, Easter, and other special times during the year
- There are a number of other Designated Funds set aside for specific ministry events such as the Love Feast, the Youth Mission Trip, Godly Play, etc. These are all used as the opportunity arises.
Endowment Trust Fund Categories
- Capital Improvement Trust - provides funding for maintaining, repairing, and improving our buildings, parsonage, and grounds
- Children & Youth
- Eddie Smith Youth Fund – provides investment income for youth mission and spiritual formation trips and event
- Mildred Russell Youth Fund – provides supplemental income for youth ministries
- Education and Programs - provides investment income for ministries focused on Christian Spiritual education and programs.
- Mission and Outreach Trust - provides investment income for ministries focused on missions and outreach
- Music and Worship
- Altar Guild Mildred Russell Bequest - provides investment income for the work of the Altar Guild
- Mayme Weaver Preaching Mission - provides investment income for the Mayme Weaver Preaching Mission
- Joe & Gail Biesecker Endowment - provides investment income for our Music Ministry
- Permanent Operating Endowment - provides investment income to supplement church operating funds as neede
- Scholarship Fund - provides investment income to offer educational scholarships to students who are members of First UMC, children of members, grandchildren who live with a member grandparent, and active participants in the First UMC Youth Ministry.
Please note - our Scholarship Fund is fully funded and the church is not currently soliciting donations to the Scholarship Fund. If you had been considering a donation or bequest for the Scholarship Fund, we respectfully request that you consider the Permanent Operating Fund or the Children, Youth, and Families Fund.
Gifts can be made to non-Endowment Funds and Endowment Trust Funds by putting a check in the offering on Sunday, mailing a check to the church or bringing a check to the church office during the week, and listing the fund in the memo line or your check. You can make a one-time or recurring donation through our online giving. Gifts can also be made through bequests, Qualified Charitable IRA Distributions, making the church a beneficiary for life insurance policies, gifting stock, giving from appreciated assets, and/or a portion of proceeds from the sale of property. For questions about these or other methods, please contact your financial or tax advisor, or Alma Carlton in the Church Finance Office.
Coming soon, answers to questions about the history of our Endowment Trust Funds, how the Endowment Trust functions, and why we need a strong set of Endowment Trust Funds.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kirk