“For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Such is the journey of local church ministry. To remain impactful, the practices of ministry must adapt and respond.
The Endowment of Tonganoxie United Methodist Church was born by generous gifts from a few long-time church member families in the 1980s. While it served TUMC well for many years, a new season was upon the church to broaden the scope of the endowment and to invite new gifts.
In 2022, the Tonganoxie UMC began working with the Kansas Methodist Foundation to consider options of restructuring and rethinking its endowment program.
The entire new relationship began with the Kansas Methodist Foundation's investment services, providing competitive returns, minimum fees, and investments in alignment with the values of the Church. However, Tonganoxie UMC came to discover that KMF brought more value to the relationship than was expected. Mark Gepner, chair of the newly organized Permanent Endowment Committee, said, “We just never expected that relationship to include so much more than an investment partner.
KMF worked with the committee to broaden the vision for possible purposes of the endowment, confirm the commitment to hold to the intent of pastor donors, and create a process to engage congregation members to remember the church in their estate planning.
"KMF planted the seed that our Endowment doesn’t have to be what it always has been. This may seem like a small thing, but empowering the congregation to dream bigger was potent and contagious."
-Mark Gepner
In the fall of 2022, Rev. Dr. Dustin Petz joined in the series of sermons about stewardship Pastor Matthew Wilke was preaching in October. The coordination of preaching about how to make an impact in ministry through generosity was fitting as part of the series. The sermon spoke to the impact of giving for annual support, while also pointing to leaving a lasting legacy for the future of Tonganoxie UMC.
As part of that Legacy Sunday, Petz presented a training about the impact of our living giving, and the important of creating an estate plan, so that as disciples of Jesus we can steward well the resources entrusted to us by God.
It was an impactful year, laying the foundation for a vibrant future for the church. With vision, a trustworthy process, and making a heart-felt ask, we can make a lasting impact on the Church, as we live out our discipleship in the community.
If it is a new season with your church, consider connecting with the KMF staff to learn how you can prepare for a bright future tied to the mission of your church.
"The biggest impact of this process was the unity it created in our Church around a vision for future growth and giving."
- Pastor Matthew Wilke
