Kids Spread Wings and Fly: Empty Nest Spurs Need to Revise Plan

The Kansas Methodist Foundation believes it is never too early to plan when it comes to estate planning. Every adult needs a plan, which includes a last will & testament, durable powers of attorney for both health and finance, and a living will. Though the documents may be simple during a young person’s life, part of being a responsible adult includes having a plan.

Young families also need a plan that includes all of the items above with special focus on child care and guardianship in the event parents die with minor children. At this stage, the plan may not be much more complex than a young adult’s, but the addition of naming guardians and establishing a way to provide for their children in case of an untimely death are critical components at this stage.

For most families, the time will also come when the children earn their wings. Babies and children grow into kids and young adults. As they do, they become more independent and start supporting themselves. It is in this stage where Rev. David and Tracy Livingston are finding themselves.

Rev. David Livingston has been an ordained pastor in the Great Plains Conference for 25 years. Since 2019, he has served as the senior pastor of Old Mission UMC in Fairway, KS. Tracy is a special education professional and a board-certified behavioral analyst. Her work has largely focused on autism issues.

David and Tracy have two girls, one in college and one soon to be in college. While still dependents, the Livingstons found themselves at the point in their lives when a simple will and guardianship plan was no longer adequate.

“This is something we have known we needed to do for a long time. Honestly, we just never took the initiative to do it. We took the PYHIO program still unsure if we would actually create an estate plan. The program took all the intimidation away and it made it very simple. At that point we just had to decide if we were going to do what we knew we needed to do or keep putting it off.”

David and Tracy were part of KMF’s first Putting Your House in Order cohort. Composed of several clergy members and spouses, the group completed the program together and provided valuable feedback to KMF on the presentations.

David and Tracy met with KMF staff once a month during group presentations followed by monthly meetings with Tyler Curtis, Chief Development Officer. Together, they worked through questions and discussed options related to establishing a trust and creating a legacy.

“We had three goals. First, and most importantly, with one child still in high school and the other in college, we wanted to make sure they were protected. Second, we wanted to establish a long-term plan for our estate. Third, we wanted to be able to include charitable giving in the estate plan and have the ability to change that giving easily if our priorities shift. The third goal seemed like the trickiest but Tyler and KMF were able to make it simple, too.”

Following their time together, the Livingstons were connected with an attorney in the Kansas City area to draft their documents. KMF staff assisted in arranging an initial meeting and facilitated a conversation to clarify the Livingstons desired terms and conditions. Following that meeting, the attorney created a draft. Once again, KMF staff assisted in reviewing the document and providing feedback.

In the end, David and Tracy created a revocable living trust and updated their power of attorney documents and living wills. They also created a legacy fund at the KMF to facilitate their charitable wishes.  

What happens next? Will their plan change? Sure, it will. Can they make amendments as life continues to happen and their family situation further evolves? Of course. Are they prepared for both the unlikely event of a premature death as well as the inevitable? Yes, they are.

No matter your age, it’s never too early to plan. And once you have a plan, it’s wise to continue to refresh it to reflect your wishes at different stages of life. Single. Married with no children. Married with young children. Empty nesters. Retirees. Aging seniors. Each stage of life and life situation entails different priorities.

“Tyler was great at helping us understand the decision-making process we needed to go through. He was always informative without pushing his opinion. We made all the decisions. Sometimes when a person who is about to have ‘routine’ surgery shares their anxiety with me, I remind them that they are anxious because while the surgery is routine for the surgeon it isn’t routine for the patient. In the same way, this is a regular part of what KMF does. They knew the questions we should be asking and then let us answer the questions. They could give advice based on prior experience without taking away our decision-making ability. It was clear that for them this was routine, which made it much less stressful for us.”

For both now and the foreseeable future, David and Tracy have peace of mind knowing they are prepared and ready for this stage of life as the kids spread their wings and begin flying the coop, leaving them as empty nesters. Are you prepared for your stage of life? If not, KMF is here to help you just like we helped David and Tracy. Please contact Tyler Curtis at tyler@kansasmethodistfoundation.org or at 620.664.9623 for more information.

Stewarding the Land and More: Morris County Family Uses KMF’s Estate Planner to Update and Refine Trust

When you think of Kansas, images of land, a barn or two, some tractors and combines, and a farmhouse are sure to come to mind. Located in Morris County northwest of Council Grove, Leland and Hazel Parker’s home reflects this image of a Kansas farming family. Having raised their five kids on their family farm, the couple now follows their grandkids, attending as many games and performances as possible.

Like most farmers, the Parkers are not retired. Far from it. While their son, James – or perhaps “Jim” and at times “Jimmy” - has taken more and more of a role in the family business, Leland continues to work every day while Hazel supports him, Jim, and others. On a farm, there is always work to be done.

Part of that work also entails succession planning. Farmers are in a unique position: self-employed and typically owners of expensive equipment as well as land, an asset that has almost assuredly appreciated in value over time. These days, there may not be a family member who wants to take over the farming operation. In the Parker’s case, this is not true. Jim has been working alongside his dad since he was old enough to walk, and he plans to be the third generation to farm the Parker family’s land.

While this is in many ways ideal, it makes estate planning complicated. Knowing that many of their assets are tied to the farm, how do Leland and Hazel fairly pass along resources to both James and his four siblings? How do you divide non-cash assets? What if something happens and one of the children pre-decease Leland and Hazel? How do they support the grandkids they love so much?

Lots of questions. And fortunately for the Parker family and others, the Kansas Methodist Foundation offers the services of an expert estate planner, John Griffin, Jr. Esq. With 33 years of experience in estate planning, including extensive experience with farm succession planning, John and his firm Stewardship Counseling, LLC, worked with the Parker family to update an existing plan and put new terms in place.

By including Jim in the discussions, the family was able to work through tough questions and address issues of fairness together. In the end, a new plan along with updated supporting documents provided Leland and Hazel with the peace of mind they were seeking.

Like many of our faithful Methodists, the Parkers are stewardship-minded. Practitioners of sustainable farming and livestock practices, the Parkers desire to not only steward well the land they have been entrusted with but also the rest of their assets, always focused in actions that produce the most good. Thanks to KMF, John Griffin and the Parkers worked together to accomplish this goal. 

If you would like the opportunity to meet with John Griffin to either review an existing plan or create a new plan, please contact Tyler Curtis at tyler@kansasmethodistfoundation.org or at 620.664.9623. John’s services are offered at no cost to you as a service of the Kansas Methodist Foundation. 

Burton Family ‘Bunches’ Gifts: Leveraging Donor Advised Funds

When it comes to charitable giving techniques, Donor Advised Funds (DAF) are often overlooked and underutilized. Not so for Pete and Cindy Burton of Stilwell, KS. Having been intentional and discipled about giving proportionally throughout their adult life, the DAF provides the Burtons with an easy way to organize and make charitable gifts. 

“It just makes our giving so much easier,” says Pete. “Our gifts come out of a single bucket.”

The Kansas Methodist Foundation has a close relationship with Stilwell United Methodist Church. Stewardship presentations and generosity workshops provided opportunities for the Burtons to meet KMF staff and learn about our programs.

According to Pete and Cindy, “We know people who use other foundations and organizations to manage their donor advised funds, but we wanted to partner with an entity that shared our values and were more aligned with our charitable goals, so we chose to partner with the KMF."

In 2018, the Burtons established a Donor Advised Fund at the KMF. Since then, Pete and Cindy have made several gifts to their donor advised fund at opportune times and then direct KMF to make gifts to their chosen charities on their behalf.

But why do they do that?

In 2018, the standard deduction for tax purposes doubled from the previous amount and has been adjusted for inflation ever since. For 2024, the standard deduction is $14,600 for an individual or $29,200 for a couple. What does that mean? Prior to 2018, many people and families itemized deductions since those amounts typically added up to a total higher than the then standard deduction. Mortgage interest, educational loan interest, child tax credits, medical expenses, and charitable gifts commonly resulted in deductions that would lower tax liability and exceeded the then allowable standard deduction.

Since 2018, though, individuals and families typically no longer have itemized amounts totaling more than the standard deduction. In 2020, over 87% of tax filers used the standard deduction. While a higher standard deduction makes it easier for tax preparers, people who make charitable gifts may no longer “feel” the benefit of their charitable gifts when it comes tax time.

Enter in Donor Advised Funds. The standard deduction increase ushered in a new giving opportunity, and DAFs are a significant part of that strategy. If people have the ability to do so, then they can leverage a giving technique known as “bunching.” By transferring a more significant dollar amount to a DAF in a single tax year, the donor may be able to itemize in Year A but use the amount stored in the DAF for charitable gifts in subsequent years.

DAFs function like a charitable savings account. Gifts are made and credited for tax purposes at the time the donor makes the contribution to a DAF. Afterwards, the donor can use those funds at any time to make gifts to charities of their choice. Funds can be given, used, and then replenished at opportune times to continue the cycle.

“Once we went through one annual cycle with our DAF, we were sold on its value. It makes our giving so much more efficient,” says Pete.

The chart below highlights how an individual who wants to make four years’ worth of gifts in a single year would use this technique.

2024202520262027
DAF Contribution $ 45,000 $     0                $      0       $      0  
Your Annual Gifts to Charities $ 13,000
Your Annual Gifts to Charities from Your DAF $ 14,000 $ 15,000 $ 16,000
*Annual Tax Deduction $ 58,000Stan DeductStan DeductStan Deduct

*Note: Tax deductible charitable gifts are capped at 60% of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), and unused deductions can be rolled over to other tax years for up to five years. KMF recommends working with your tax professional to analyze your tax situation and ensure DAF’s are right for you.

Most people are not sitting on enough cash to make this technique helpful; however, consider these scenarios:

According to Pete and Cindy, their DAF has been a useful giving tool. “The beauty of it is that the donor advised fund takes the question of taxes off the table. We already have our tax receipt and tax deduction. Now we can just give generously to charities and causes we want to support without having to think about any tax-related issues.”

If you would like to visit about DAFs or other tax-advantaged giving strategies, then we are here to assist. Please contact Tyler Curtis at tyler@kansasmethodistfoundation.org or at 620.664.9623 for more information.

Wichita College Hill UMC – Endowment Program Strengthened: “New Wine into New Wineskins; Both are Preserved”

One of the ministries the Kansas Methodist Foundation provides to the churches we serve is helping them strengthen endowment programs and legacy giving ministries. KMF comes alongside congregations to review policies, strengthen donor development programs, and steward well resources to support ministry and mission. This specialized ministry allows KMF to be a key partner with congregations to grow resources for ministry.

At the beginning of 2023, the Kansas Methodist Foundation began a process of working with College Hill United Methodist (CHUM) Foundation to do a holistic review of their endowment program and ministry. KMF President and CEO, Dustin Petz, met with the Foundation board to review policies and consider best practices to organize and strengthen the operation in order to serve well the congregation.

Before long, it became apparent that a new way of operating could help CHUM better steward their funds to support the church’s ministry.  The questions became:

After much discernment and advice from outside legal counsel, it was finally decided that the College Hill United Methodist Foundation would terminate as a separately incorporated foundation and gift those assets to the Kansas Methodist Foundation for the benefit of the College Hill United Methodist Church. In essence, this decision leveraged the KMF’s professional expertise to administer and steward the funds so that the church could focus greater attention on the ministry the funds support and being the church God has called CHUM to be, for such a time as this.

The Kansas Methodist Foundation is excited about this expanded partnership and is committed to helping CHUM grow in stewardship and generosity so that the work of the church can continue, expand, and provide a place for new people at College Hill United Methodist Church.

I encourage other churches to consider this model. KMF is a resource to all of our churches & we benefit from their expertise & professional knowledge in this area. Using KMF frees me & my congregation to do what we’re an expert in: sharing grace beyond belief!       - Rev. Jill Sander-Chali , CHUM

I believe this will relieve CHUM’s staff & lay leaders from the administrative burden of managing our own Foundation. It allows us to focus our energies on raising money for the future & deploying funds to support & grow our current ministries!-                          Rev. Jill Sander-Chali , CHUM

Eby Family Gives Generously through their Donor Advised Fund

Inspired by the generosity of his family and looking for a way to give charitably, Charles and Jean Eby chose the Kansas Methodist Foundation to care for their donor advised fund.

Charlie looked for options to steward his giving and was aware of his local community foundation when he learned about the Kansas Methodist Foundation.

“I did a little vetting and I just felt more comfortable with the Methodist foundation,” Charlie said. “I thought it was well run and it would do what I wanted to accomplish through giving. I’m a Methodist so it is really comfortable to be doing it this way.”

To accomplish his charitable giving goals, Charlie uses a donor advised fund. He views this fund like a charitable bank account that supports the organizations he desires to impact through his giving. When Charlie is ready to support his church, Wichita First United Methodist Church, or another nonprofit, he makes a recommendation to KMF to make a gift from the fund. Upon approval, the gift is sent to the designated organization in his name.

“The donor advised fund allows us to do what we wanted to do in the first place,” Charlie said. “It’s not limited to only Methodist organizations…and it was important to me it not be limited only to the church. Certainly we give a large portion to the church, but it does go to other organizations that I believe are doing good work.”

Although a regular supporter of his church, Charlie is also passionate about many ministries and organizations. He loves Habitat for Humanity, has been involved with the United Methodist Open Door for a long time, and, as a former big brother, he desires to support Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

Another advantage Charlie appreciates about his donor advised fund is the ability to keep his giving consistent each year. To fund his charitable giving, Charlie donates appreciated stock to KMF to be sold and the proceeds placed in his donor advised fund.

“In years things are good, we can put more into the account,” Charlie said. “When it’s not seven fat cows and we get seven skinny cows, we don’t put as much in. We’ve kept a reservoir of cash that allows us to try to keep a consistent gift to people like the church. The church is going to need the money every year so if we can keep our giving relatively the same it’s more predictable and makes life easier for the organizations.”

Through their generosity, Charles and Jean make an impact for their church and numerous other organizations each year.

“I just feel like when you’ve been blessed, you should pass it on,” Charlie said. “We have been blessed so I really want to give.”

Camp Lakeside – Grant Helps Camp’s Ministry Adapt

When Camp Lakeside applied for a Pathways for Discipleship grant from the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation, they had no idea that the 2020 summer camping season would quickly come to a halt due to COVID-19.

After the Great Plains Campus Board suspended the summer’s traditional camping programs, Ross Janovec, Camp Lakeside Director, Katie Laing, Camp Lakeside Program Director, and the site council brainstormed ways camp programs could still continue, even if not in the traditional way.

“We knew our campers likely had been pursuing online schooling and communication with friends, so we wanted them to experience ‘camp’ at home and off-screen,” Ross said. “Camp in a Box was a way for our campers to experience camp at home while providing activities and devotional materials that weren’t technology oriented.”

Camp Lakeside’s Camp in a Box included a variety of materials to serve the campers experience while at home with their family. The box included everything from a devotional book, crafts, a worship playlist, an exclusive “Lakeside Canoeing Lizard” sticker, and more.

The response from campers and their families was extremely positive and the Camp Lakeside staff quickly found themselves in need to help. The site council reached out to the Foundation for approval to change their grant from supporting the originally planned summer events to supporting the Camp in a Box efforts. With the support of the grant, Camp Lakeside had the additional resources it needed to partner with other Great Plains camps for staffing.

“Camp Fontanelle and Camp Chippewa graciously and excitedly sent 15 of their summer counselors to assist Lakeside both with packing Camp in a Boxes, and also to work on other maintenance projects on-site,” Ross said. “It was a blessing to share in fellowship, community and laughter with our sister camps for a weekend.”

Through the creativity of Camp in a Box and the partnership with their sister camps, the staff at Camp Lakeside helped their campers experience camp in a new, creative way, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have heard stories that a 9-year-old boy brought the nature scavenger hunt to do on a Boy Scout camping trip, that a 15-year-old female camper decided to work through the devotional book with her friends from school — and of course, the stuffed animals from the Camp Store were extremely popular with our youngest campers,” Ross said.

The Foundation was honored to continue partnering with Camp Lakeside in what turned out to be an unprecedented camping season. The Foundation is thankful for its many faithful donors who give to the Pathways for Discipleship Grant Ministry to allow ministries, like Camp Lakeside, have new visions for what ministry can be.

Emporia FUMC - Building an Endowment for Future Ministry

First United Methodist Church of Emporia had a long-standing endowment program in place, but leadership knew it needed to be streamlined and refocused.

“The big picture is stewardship,” Ed Bashaw, Chair of the Permanent Endowment Committee said. “We are supposed to be good stewards of what we have and our goal is to create disciples for Christ. We saw some inefficiencies both from the operational side and promotional side.”

The church knew the positive impact of having an endowment ministry as generous gifts given to the endowment in the past made possible many ministries, including allowing the children and youth ministry leaders to attend a conference. The conference was a valuable tool for the leaders to continue learning and finding resources for Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. By attending prior to the pandemic, the leaders had creative ideas to help the ministry continue through COVID-19.

Leaders from Emporia First attended the Leaving a Lasting Legacy workshop presented by Rev. Dr. Dustin Petz, President of the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation. As a result, they saw the potential for the church’s endowment ministry and how the Foundation could help them make it happen.

“Rev. Petz was very gracious to offer his services as we began looking at updating our charter and forming a Permanent Endowment Committee,” Rev. Karla Sheffy, Co-Pastor at Emporia First UMC said.

The church worked through an example charter provided by the Foundation, which included disciplinary guidelines and issues to have included in their working document. During this process it became clear that the endowment program needed to be simplified and have direction from one standing committee.

“The one committee really has knowledge of a lot of things and are able to make the directives for the cash flow a little bit better with that knowledge,” Ed said.

In addition to streamlining the committee, the leaders also worked to form a vision and refocus the giving areas to improve communication. Many of the funds that the church previously established were combined to create an unrestricted Legacy Fund, with two other targeted ministry funds, the Ministry Impact Fund and the Property Fund.

The updated charter was then adopted by the congregation and the church is excited for the future of growing their endowment ministry to strengthen and impact their ministry. The leaders at Emporia First are grateful to Rev. Dr. Dustin Petz for his work in helping to update the program.

“Everything we do is for the future,” Rev. Karla Sheffy said. “Our Christian faith is no different. To keep Christ’s life giving love in focus is important and the endowment program is a resource for building the future of faithful Christians.”

Protecting Family through an Estate Plan

While planning for a trip, Revs. Andrew and Nicole Conard discovered the opportunity to work with John Griffin, through the complementary services Foundation, and it provided the motivation needed to make their estate plan a reality.

“We were making plans for both of us to go on a trip while our children stayed with family,” Nicole said. “We wanted to be sure that we had a plan in place to care for our children were something unfortunate to happen to us.”

Although the pandemic changed their travel plans, it did not alter their desire to ensure they had a plan to take care of their children. Andrew and Nicole began meeting with John Griffin, an attorney with Stewardship Counseling LLC, and through a series of meetings developed their estate plan.

“We had a wonderful experience working with John,” Andrew said. “He was thoughtful, thorough, and walked us through the details of decisions that we needed to make. His affable manner helped us work through important and serious conversations with one another and our family.”

With John’s guidance and legal expertise, the Conard’s were confident they were making the right decisions for their family. In addition, Andrew and Nicole were also confident about the legacy they will leave behind.

“We want to use our estate plan to care for our family,” Nicole said. “We also hope that we are able to be a blessing to others. Leaving a legacy is important for us as people of faith.”

Andrew and Nicole believe who they are today was shaped by the legacy of those who came before them. They were both recipients of scholarships and support for their education and have also been shaped by the spiritual influence of many people.

“We plan to leave a gift to the Foundation in our estate because we trust the organization's ability to deploy funds for maximum effect in the mission field where we serve,” Andrew said. “The Foundation is able to provide ongoing stewardship for our gift in a way that ensures continued impact for generations to come. As our family is cared for in appropriate ways, we want to give a tithe or beyond to continue to be about God's work.”

Through their estate plan, the Conards know their children will be provided for. Through their generosity now, and in their estate, they will leave a legacy in the denomination they served through their permanent endowed family fund with the Foundation.

“If you don’t have an estate plan, you should probably get one,” Nicole said. “We do not have a large estate, however we want to care for our children.”

Nedra Starkey Gives Back Through a Charitable Gift Annuity

From a young age, Nedra Starkey knew she wanted to be involved in ministry and giving back to others.

As a student at Southwestern College in Winfield, KS, Starkey wanted to go to the mission field. Her senior year, she met the love of her life, James (Jim), and they quickly began planning their lives together serving Christ.

Although not everything went as planned, together they served pastoring and planting churches in Kansas and other parts of the United States.

Jim and Nedra spent their retirement years traveling. Together, they visited all the National Parks open at the time!

It was during their retirement, that they realized their income was more than they needed at the time and wanted to give the excess charitably. The couple set up multiple Charitable Gift Annuities with the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation, one each year for a few years.

With the Charitable Gift Annuities, the Starkey’s received an annuity payment and expected that at the end of their lives, the remainder would go to ministries they care about.

However, at the age of 92, Nedra decided to terminate her annuity payments to give more to the charities that meant a lot to her and Jim.

“If I would have waited until I died, which could be another ten years, there may not be anything left.” Starkey said.

Starkey has been blessed and because of her generous heart, wants to change lives now.

Cultivating Generosity to Change Lives

While taking a load of hay to bless fellow ranchers stricken from a massive Kansas wildfire, Lyn Saltzman said to her husband, Gene, “This is our first mission trip!” Little did they know this was the first of many mission opportunities that would become a new beginning in their lives. They had no idea how God would lead them next. They were blessed to be a blessing in ministry and mission.

Since that day in 2016, after multiple mission trips and a time of discovery and transition, the Saltzmans discerned that God was calling them to leave their previous lives as farmers and ranchers of Jamestown, KS, to be God’s servants in mission to the places where God would send them. Just like Abram and Sara were in Genesis 12, Gene and Lyn were being called to a new place:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. …I will bless you, …so that you will be a blessing. …So [they] went, as the Lord had told [them].”

After Gene and Lyn made many mission trips, including to the United Methodist Committee on Relief supply depot in Baldwin, LA, to Guatemala, and to ReelFoot Rural Ministries in Tennessee, they came to the realization that the only way they could do more ministry is if they stopped farming. Each trip had been a step building upon the previous one and Gene and Lyn were open to going and serving wherever the Lord would lead. They placed their lives into God’s hands, believing that “God’s Word done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply!”

In the midst of this discernment journey, Alan D. Herndon, the then President and CEO of the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation, met the Saltzmans. Herndon made a presentation to the First United Methodist Church of Concordia, where he taught about ways that people can give generously that would make a lasting difference in the church and beyond. It was then that a new way forward was revealed to Gene and Lyn.

The couple decided to create a charitable remainder unitrust in partnership with the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation. The process involved giving their farm equipment to the trust, including tractor, combine, planters, and sprayer. The trust then sold the farm equipment and raised approximately $475,000 to provide a lifetime income for Gene and Lyn. This income will support them as they serve God in ministry and mission.

John Griffin, an estate planning consultant, prepared an agreement between the Saltzmans and the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation, which resulted in the establishment of the Two-Life Charitable Remainder Unitrust. This charitable instrument is designed to provide a charitable tax deduction and life-income for families. Then, at the time of the survivor’s death, the amount of money remaining will go into a permanent endowment fund, to be a lasting witness of the faithful disciples. Gene and Lyn saw this as a win-win opportunity and are grateful for the income now and that the remaining amount of money will be a lasting witness of their faith for the causes and ministries they care about.

Once the trust was in place, Gene and Lyn met with the new President and CEO of the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation, Dustin Petz, to decide how the remainder of the trust will make a lasting difference across Kansas and beyond. “It was a great joy to meet with Gene and Lyn and to hear their heart for giving.” Petz said. “They have a strong faith and are excited to serve and be a blessing in mission.”

At the beginning of 2019, the Saltzmans were serving at the ReelFoot Rural Ministries in Tennessee with plans to move to Alaska later in the year.

People of faith are transformed as they give generous gifts, and then those gifts grow to make a lasting impact beyond their lives.

The Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation seeks to cultivate generosity to change lives. If you would like to talk with a staff member to learn more about how you can give a gift of a lifetime by partnering with the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation, please contact us. The Foundation would be honored to serve you.