Connecting donors with ministries

 I'm just adding to their stewardship life,  says

Schroeder,who has served 14 years in a partnership

 It's a wonderful opportunity being in the

between the LCMS Foundation and Iowa District

Foundation to serve the Lord by helping people ful 

West.  I just encourage God's stewards to have their

fill their dreams,  says Foundation President Mark

will and estate plan reflect their Christian faith. 

Stuenkel.  It's not simply about money, but praising

 Christian estate planning,  he continues, 

God that He brings these resources to us [for min 

 is making plans to pass on the assets that God

istry]. 

places into our care during our lives here on earth.

The Foundation, he said, provides the  con 

It is part of the Christian stewardship process that

duit  that connects donors with ministries. Between

includes the regular Sunday morning offering and

July 1, 2001 and June 30, 2002, the Foundation was

special over and above gifts to churchwide 

able to distribute more than $55 million from

ministries. 

163,666 direct gifts and 4,747 matured trust gifts,

Schroeder has sat at the kitchen table with

The funds were distributed to 481 different min 

hundreds of LCMS families, helping them make

istries and organizations such as LCMS World

Mission, LCMS World Relief/Human Care,

F O R   H E L P   I N   G I F T   P L A N N I N G

colleges and universities, seminaries and con 

gregations. 

The LCMS Foundation partners with 24 districts, providing gift 

In partnership with 21 districts, the

planning counselors who are available to assist in making direct or

Foundation employs gift planning counselors

deferred gifts in support of ministries of the Synod. For the name of 

who assist LCMS members in making direct

a gift planning counselor near you, call (800) 325 7912.

gifts and estate plans. Other counselors work

with gifts to major ministries and districts.

The Foundation also has responsibility

plans to write a Christian will and make estate plans.

for direct response to For the Sake of the Church,

A Christian will, he emphasizes, is often the first

LCMS World Mission, LCMS World

step in developing an estate plan and is just as

Relief/Human Care, the Joint Seminary Fund and

important for young families as for senior citizens. 

KFUO Radio. 

During those visits, he discusses three matters:

 The Foundation also manages funds on

writing a statement of faith in the form of a

behalf of individuals, LCEF, colleges and universi 

Christian preamble in the will; making plans to pass

ties and congregations,  Stuenkel said. At the close

assets on to family members; and a deferred gift to

of the past fiscal year, total assets were almost $791

the work of the Lord. 

million.  We are a long term investor and our goal

Schroeder insists that his work is just part of

is to protect principal,  he said.

God's plan.  My greatest joy is just being part of

He said the Foundation has worked diligently

helping God's stewards respond to His love for

to restore confidence after experiencing a $40 mil 

them in Jesus Christ our Lord!  

lion loss in 1998 as a result of high risk investments.

About 25 percent was recovered through litigation.

Sharing blessings now and ahead

 Since 1998, no one individual on the staff

makes investment decisions,  Stuenkel said.  We've

Fred and Shirley Becker count themselves

instituted all new procedures using outside invest 

blessed to give back what the Lord has given

ment managers and the counsel of Wilshire

them in time, talent and treasure.

Associates. It's a layering of control so the situation

They are giving much of their retirement

cannot occur again. I think trust has been restored

years to Atonement Lutheran Church in Dearborn,

on the investment side.  

Mich. For nearly five years, Fred has made hospital

and shut in calls to members and, during the past

`Adding to their stewardship life'

18 months when the congregation has been without

a pastor, he handles other duties as well.  Shirley

 We help the members of The Lutheran

serves as principal of Atonement's small school and

Church Missouri Synod with Christian wills and

preschool.

estate planning,  is how Jim Schroeder describes his

The Beckers live in Dearborn Heights seven

service as an LCMS Foundation Gift Planning

miles from the church, in the home they purchased

Counselor.  It's personally helping people be good

in 1958. Their modest lifestyle is comfortable and

stewards, even after God calls them home!  

well within their means. As practical people, they

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