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Join us for the General Assembly

The 2009 General Assembly in Indianapolis will be held July 29-Aug. 2, and promises to be a wonderful opportunity to great old friends, make new friends, experience powerful worship, discover new ways of thinking and be the church together.

The Foundation invites you to our General Assembly banquet that will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30, in the downtown Indianapolis Marriott, located conveniently across the street from the Indianapolis Convention Center. Tickets are just $20, and can be ordered online by clicking here and following the directions.

The Foundation also will host a variety of resource groups on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1. To view a complete list of the Foundation's resource groups, along with the presenters, click here.

We hope to see you in Indianapolis!

Robertsons receive Harry T. Ice Award

Saying "if you want to give, it is not a sacrifice," the Rev. Bill and Benny Robertson were presented the Harry T. Ice Distinguished Service Award from the Board of Directors of the Chrisitan Church Foundatian.

The award, named in honor of the man who helped create the Foundation nearly 50 years ago, recognizes Disciples for their personal philanthropy and support, love and commitment to the whole church. The award was presented April 27 at the Board's meeting in Indianapolis by Robert Patterson, chair of the Board. To read the full article about the Robertsons, click here.

Market slide hurts Disciples

The economic crisis felt across the globe is impacting the church as historic market declines will lower the Christian Church Foundation’s distributions from permanent funds, the Foundation’s Board of Directors learned during its recent meeting.

The Rev. Gary Kidwell, CCF president, said it is difficult to predict distributions during a volatile economic climate, but believes distributions – made from a set percentage of investment market value -- will be lower in 2009 because of the market decline.

To read the full story, including action from the recent Board of Directors' meeting, click here.

Collins installed as vice president

The Rev. W. Darwin Collins was installed as vice president of the Christian Church Foundation April 20 by Rev. Sharon Watkins, general minister and president, and regional ministers representing more than 20 of the denomination's regions.

Collins, the former regional minister for the Christian Church in Pennsylvania, joined the Foundation in September 2009; the installation service was before his regional minister colleagues at the Foundation-sponsored breakfast for regional ministers attending the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

"We come affirming this call extended by the church, and now --confident of God’s presence, compassion, and blessing-- we come to enter into covenant with our colleague and the whole church of Jesus Christ and to install him in his ministry with prayers of obedience, thanksgiving, and joy," said the Rev. William Allen, currently serving as interim regional minister for the Christian Church in Pennsylvania.

Collins serves the Foundation's Great Lakes Zones, working with donors, congregations and regions from Illinois to the east, north of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

Distributions in 2008 reach $7.2 million

The Christian Church Foundation distributed $7.2 million for ministry in 2008 from permanent funds, life-income gifts that matured and other donor-directed gifts.

“These dollars undergird the ministries of congregations, regions and other Disciples causes,” said the Rev. Gary Kidwell, Foundation president. “Yet this figure does not include the millions of dollars in subject-to-withdrawal accounts, owned by Disciples ministries, which were distributed to those ministries to expand their own work and witness.”

Disciples Mission Fund, the general funding system for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), received more than $1.2 million from permanent funds and donor-advised gifts. This figure is the largest distribution to the church’s mission funding system in the Foundation’s history.

To see the full report, click here.

2008 Audit Now Available - Click Here

Congress Renews IRA Gift Opportunity

For a church newsletter article to help promote this new giving opportunity for your church members, click here. 

Congress has passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which extends for 2008 and 2009 an expired provision permitting IRA owners age 70½ and older to make distributions to qualified organizations of up to $100,000 per year (Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008, H.R. 1424).

Ruth Weaver, the Christian Church Foundation's senior vice president, said this two-year provision could be helpful to donors with small IRAs who don't want to bother with them, or for donors who already receive the maximum charitable tax deductions yet still want to be more philanthropic. She also said congregations could benefit from the IRA charitable giving provision, especially in cases where a donor would like to make a gift to a capital campaign.

No income tax deductions are available for IRA “qualified charitable distributions,” but donors may save taxes anyway, where gifts take the place of required minimum distributions (which otherwise are 100% taxable).

To make a 2008 gift from an IRA, donors should contact their IRA trustee or custodian as soon as possible – preferably before receiving any required minimum distributions.  Transfers for 2008 must be completed by Dec. 31, 2008.  Distribution checks should be issued in the name of a qualified charity, not to the account owner, with notification to the charity.

The rules are the same as for IRA gifts made in 2006 and 2007:

• Donors must be age 70½ or older and own a traditional IRA.  Other retirement plans, such as pensions, 401(k) plans and others are not eligible.
• Only the IRA trustee can transfer gift amounts to a qualified organization.  If IRA owners withdraw funds and then contribute them to charity separately, amounts withdrawn will be included in the donor’s gross income.
• No charitable deductions are allowed, but gift amounts will not be included in the donors’ incomes.  IRA gifts may satisfy charitable pledges, according to the IRS.
• IRA gifts may not exceed $100,000 and must be made before 2010.  Note that up to $100,000 may be distributed for both 2008 and 2009.  The “ceilings” on contribution deductions (50% of adjusted gross income for cash, 30% of AGI for capital gain assets), do not apply to IRA gifts.
• IRA gifts cannot be made to charitable remainder trusts or other “life income gift” arrangements, such as charitable gift annuities.  Transfers are not permitted to donor advised funds or supporting organizations.

To read additional details, as well as see preferred wording for donors to provide to their IRA custodians to complete these types of gifts, click here.

For a church newsletter article to help promote this new giving opportunity for your church members, click here. 

In Memory:
Rev. Dr. James R. Reed, President Emeritus

The Rev. Dr. James R. Reed, president emeritus of Christian Church Foundation (Disciples of Christ), died Sept. 1, 2008, in Indianapolis. An esteemed church leader, eminent fund-raiser, congregational pastor, and beloved husband, father, and grandfather, he was 80 years old.

Dr. Reed was the inspiration behind the Christian Church Foundation. In 1964 at the age of 37, he heeded the call of church leaders to envision an organization that would enable members of the denomination to fund ministry effectively for years to come. As the Foundation’s first employee and its first president, he grew the Foundation’s assets from $119,000 in 1969 to over $40 million in 1991 when he retired.

CCF President Gary W. Kidwell said Dr. Reed “served God and the church well, leading with vision, caring for people, and striving for excellence. He was my mentor, my friend, even my surrogate father. The church has lost one of its most gifted leaders, but he leaves behind a tremendous legacy that will continue to inspire us all.”

Memorial gifts may be made to the Christian Church Foundation, PO Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46204, and noted for the James R. and Lucille B. Reed Fund.

To read the full obituary, click here.

Checklist for Permanent Fund Trustees

Being responsible for a congregation's permanent fund is an important task. And with trustees often serving staggered terms, it is important that the knowledge and responsibilities are constantly shared and understood to maintain the integrity of the fund. The Foundation staff members have prepared a "Trustee's Checklist" that your congregational leaders may use. To view and download the PDF version, click here.

Managing Estate Gifts

Gifts from donors’ estates are a special blessing. These gifts, received from the saints of our congregations, are often their final testimony that the church is called to stretch and serve many future generations. What a great gift this testimony can be to all of us!. In all of the work that we do, however, one paramount consideration deserves special focus: We must make it a priority to understand and to honor any donor restrictions on gifts made to the church.

The Christian Church Foundation is providing a new resource to congregations to help them better understand their role as stewards of these gifts. Click here to download a copy, or to order several for your congregation's financial leaders and trustees, call us at (800) 668-8016.