The Good Shepherd Society
for planned giving at St. Luke's
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It is important that “all persons make wills, while they are in health, arranging for the disposal of their temporal goods, not neglecting, if they are able, to leave bequests for religious and charitable purposes.”
The Book of Common Prayer p.445 |
If you have ever been to a service at St. Luke’s, walked onto our beautiful campus, or just parked in one of our parking lots, you have enjoyed the gifts given by countless people and multiple generations. Some are given by people you may have known, others were given by people who lived long ago. One need only sit in our sanctuary for a moment or two and reflect on the generosity surrounding us and the gifts given to us by past generations for us to realize that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses that not only spans generations but their witness and generosity continues to be formative in our lives today.
What is often missed, when we speak of past generations, however, is that we are the foundational generation for future parishioners. Those parishioners, those who are currently too young to speak and those who will not be born for years to come, will be looking for us to provide a foundation upon which their ministry successes can be built.
The Good Shepherd Society was formed in 1993 by the Vestry of St. Luke’s Church to recognize and honor those who have made estate or planned gifts to benefit St. Luke’s Church. The gifts can be made directly to the Church or designated for the St. Luke’s Endowment Fund or one of the Church’s other Capital Funds described below. The Society began with 60 founding members and today includes more than 200 individuals who are ensuring the future strength of St. Luke’s Parish through planned gifts.
Why should I make a planned gift? Yes, we make an annual pledge to the Church to cover operations and the annual budget. But that money does not cover all the expenses. It does not leave a reserve to keep a campus as old as ours in top condition. It does not leave funds for projects that inspire new leadership.
Why doesn’t the annual budget cover all our costs? Sometimes there are short term crises on the campus like a broken down boiler or rental income that is late. The safety net is not that deep. A portion of the earnings of the St. Luke’s Endowment fund are now budgeted into our church operations. Growing this St. Luke’s Endowment through planned gifts is very important.
I’m not wealthy enough to make this kind of gift! We encourage all levels of planned gifts. There is no requirement for the size of a gift. It is the practice of making this gift that gives promise to the future of this Church.
How do I make a planned gift? Many people have chosen to leave the Church a portion of their estate in their will. With the assistance of your legal advisor, you can establish a bequest by will, to be directed to St. Luke’s. If you have already prepared a will, your legal advisor can help you add a codicil to include St. Luke’s. These simple codicil templates are provided as information only.
In lieu of a bequest in your will, there are other very simple ways to accomplish a planned gift, such as naming St. Luke’s as the beneficiary of an IRA account or an insurance policy. Of course, each individual situation is unique. Please consult your legal advisor before making any changes to your estate plan.
What is often missed, when we speak of past generations, however, is that we are the foundational generation for future parishioners. Those parishioners, those who are currently too young to speak and those who will not be born for years to come, will be looking for us to provide a foundation upon which their ministry successes can be built.
The Good Shepherd Society was formed in 1993 by the Vestry of St. Luke’s Church to recognize and honor those who have made estate or planned gifts to benefit St. Luke’s Church. The gifts can be made directly to the Church or designated for the St. Luke’s Endowment Fund or one of the Church’s other Capital Funds described below. The Society began with 60 founding members and today includes more than 200 individuals who are ensuring the future strength of St. Luke’s Parish through planned gifts.
Why should I make a planned gift? Yes, we make an annual pledge to the Church to cover operations and the annual budget. But that money does not cover all the expenses. It does not leave a reserve to keep a campus as old as ours in top condition. It does not leave funds for projects that inspire new leadership.
Why doesn’t the annual budget cover all our costs? Sometimes there are short term crises on the campus like a broken down boiler or rental income that is late. The safety net is not that deep. A portion of the earnings of the St. Luke’s Endowment fund are now budgeted into our church operations. Growing this St. Luke’s Endowment through planned gifts is very important.
I’m not wealthy enough to make this kind of gift! We encourage all levels of planned gifts. There is no requirement for the size of a gift. It is the practice of making this gift that gives promise to the future of this Church.
How do I make a planned gift? Many people have chosen to leave the Church a portion of their estate in their will. With the assistance of your legal advisor, you can establish a bequest by will, to be directed to St. Luke’s. If you have already prepared a will, your legal advisor can help you add a codicil to include St. Luke’s. These simple codicil templates are provided as information only.
In lieu of a bequest in your will, there are other very simple ways to accomplish a planned gift, such as naming St. Luke’s as the beneficiary of an IRA account or an insurance policy. Of course, each individual situation is unique. Please consult your legal advisor before making any changes to your estate plan.
GIVING TO ST. LUKE’S ENDOWMENT & CAPITAL FUNDS
The St. Luke’s Endowment and Capital Funds were established to provide ways to enable St. Luke’s Church to strengthen its mission, ministries and properties beyond what is possible through your generous annual support.
GIFTS CAN BE MADE TO ONE OF THREE GENERAL ENDOWMENT AND CAPITAL FUNDS. THESE INCLUDE:
The St. Luke’s Endowment and Capital Funds were established to provide ways to enable St. Luke’s Church to strengthen its mission, ministries and properties beyond what is possible through your generous annual support.
GIFTS CAN BE MADE TO ONE OF THREE GENERAL ENDOWMENT AND CAPITAL FUNDS. THESE INCLUDE:
- St. Luke’s Endowment Fund If you would like to make a gift to the Church which will be invested, preserved and used for the long-term benefit of St. Luke’s for building, property and maintenance needs, you can designate your gift for the St. Luke’s Endowment Fund. Five percent of the fund’s average annual market value over the past three years will be distributed to the church for its general operating budget.
- St. Luke’s Mission and Ministries Fund If you are interested in make a gift of at least $25,000 that will be invested and preserved for the long-term benefit of specific programs supporting the mission and ministries of the parish, you can designate your specific fund to be placed with others in the Mission and Ministries Fund. For example, the McBurney-Folkes, Smith Hawkins and Michael Marsh Funds are part of the Mission and Ministries Funds.
- Rector, Warden Vestry Fund (RWV) If you would like to make a gift to be used to augment the Church’s annual income for current and new programs and activities as well as other immediate parish needs, please consider directing your gift to the Rector, Warden and Vestry Fund. Unrestricted gifts or bequests to St. Luke’s Church and restricted bequests or gifts under $25,000 will be placed in this fund.
We welcome you to join us a member of the Good Shepherd Society!
If you have already made a planned gift of any size to benefit St. Luke’s, we welcome the opportunity to include you as a member of the Good Shepherd Society. Please notify Mark Simmons, director of membership and stewardship (404-873-7624 or mark@stlukesatlanta.org), so that we may include you. A simple, confidential reply form offers a convenient way to record your planned gift for church records.
If you have not yet made a planned gift for the benefit of St. Luke’s but are ready to explore the ways you can make a planned gift, contact Mark Simmons. Mark will be happy to answer your questions or direct you to a member of the Church’s Planned Giving Committee.
If you have already made a planned gift of any size to benefit St. Luke’s, we welcome the opportunity to include you as a member of the Good Shepherd Society. Please notify Mark Simmons, director of membership and stewardship (404-873-7624 or mark@stlukesatlanta.org), so that we may include you. A simple, confidential reply form offers a convenient way to record your planned gift for church records.
If you have not yet made a planned gift for the benefit of St. Luke’s but are ready to explore the ways you can make a planned gift, contact Mark Simmons. Mark will be happy to answer your questions or direct you to a member of the Church’s Planned Giving Committee.
