Contributions Made Easy

A Letter from the Stewardship Committee

Dear friends,

The Stewardship Committee at Messiah Lutheran invites you to consider a new way of giving. Our church council and finance committee have approved an automated giving program that is an excellent option for members who regularly use automatic withdrawals from their bank accounts. Both our members and the church benefit with this program. For those who choose to participate, withdrawing the pledged or specified amount from your bank account is truly giving the Biblical "first fruits." It also eliminates the minor frustrations of writing frequent checks or forgetting the checkbook. For the church, the advantages are related to a consistent and predictable cash flow and less paperwork. The seasonal fluctuations in giving patterns are lessened with automated giving. If you would like to sign up for automated giving, please complete and sign the authorization form on this web site and return it to the church office. If you have questions, please contact the church office.

Blessings,
Stewardship Committee

Save time, simplify your life, and support our parish! We're keeping up with the times by offering our parishioners a new way to help our ministry. Our new Electronic Giving program is an automated program that will allow you to make contributions without having to lift a pen to write a check or reach into your wallet for cash!

Here is how it works:
You authorize a specified amount of money to be electronically transferred directly from your checking or savings account to the parish account. You also specify the frequency of the transfer. It is fast, safe and easy! In fact, it is less risky than checks, as it cannot be lost, stolen, or destroyed. The electronic transfer will cost you NOTHING and you save the cost of the check. The parish will issue you a donation statement for your tax records, and your bank statements will provide you with a record of transfer as additional proof of your contributions. Donations via electronic transfer can be made to our general fund, building fund or any fund you choose.

Of course you can cancel your authorization of transfer at any time by notifying us in writing. But we believe that once you have enjoyed the convenience and savings of this new program, you won't want to go back to the "old-fashioned" way of contributing to your church!

Two Options for Today's Parishioners:

NEW - Electronic Giving Program
Traditional - Parish Envelope Program

A New Way to Give Our church is embracing a giving option that may be more convenient for many of our parishioners - Electronic Giving. Beginning in January, this new giving option will work in the same manner as mortgages, loans payments, or insurance premiums that are automatically withdrawn from your checking or savings account. To sign up for this new giving option and have your donations transferred electronically to the church account on a regular basis, please fill out an authorization form and return it to the church office. You choose the donation frequency (weekly or monthly) and the donation amount for each fund you wish to support.

Important Benefits of Electronic Giving

Electronic Giving makes life easier for you and yields very significant benefits for our church.

Benefits for You:
- The satisfaction of giving to God first
- Easier to fulfill stewardship commitments
- Strengthens participation and support in the church
- Allows you to contribute even when you're away
- Easier personal budgeting
- More secure than bringing cash or checks to church
Benefits for our Church:
- Promotes consistent giving
- More predictable cash flow for better planning
- Less work for office staff
- Secure and easy cash maintenance

Traditional Choices Remain

All registered parishioners will continue to receive envelopes, including envelopes for special collections for a variety of needs. Parish collections will be taken each week as usual. Participants in the Electronic Giving program are asked to mark their envelopes "EFT" or "I give electronically" and place them in the collection basket. If you do not currently use envelopes, please consider participating in either our envelope program or the Electronic Giving program. Our parish needs your consistent support.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CHARITABLE GIVING!

For Members of Messiah Lutheran Congregation Making Their Gift Through the Transfer of Assets

A common way to make a gift is with appreciated securities. This can be gifts of stocks, mutual funds or bonds that have appreciated in value.* For example: Suppose you own 200 shares of ABC stock for which you paid $10 per share several years ago and now they are worth $20 per share. If you donate your stock directly to Messiah to make your $4,000 gift, your charitable income tax deduction (if you itemize) is still $4,000. You will also be able to avoid the 15% Federal capital gains tax on the amount of your gain in the stock. Savings on capital gains tax is $300 ($2,000 gain x 15% = $300). There also will be Missouri income tax savings. Please consult your professional advisor if you have any questions.

Once your decision has been made to make a gift of appreciated securities to Messiah, there is a process that needs to be followed. First, be sure to advise the Business Manager at Messiah, Nathan Carlson, of your gift before your asset(s) are transferred. This is to insure that your asset(s) can be properly accepted upon receipt and credited to you. Second, it is important that Messiah receive and have in their possession the asset(s) being given in order to obtain the full tax benefits. Then:

1. 1. For assets you hold in a Brokerage Account, your broker will need to have them wire transferred to Messiah’s account at Commerce Bank.

2. For assets you hold in book entry form, you will need to have the assets transferred to Messiah’s account at Commerce Bank.

3. For assets you hold in certificate form of ownership, you should contact our Commerce Bank broker and make an appointment to handle the deposit to Messiah’s account.

4. If you have any questions or need assistance with the transfer of assets please contact Shareen Beal, our Commerce Bank Broker.

Our Commerce Bank Broker is:

Shareen Beal
Senior Vice President
Commerce Brokerage Services, Inc.
1345 E. Battlefield Rd.
Springfield, MO 65804
( 417) 837-5220
shareen.beal@commercebank.com

Messiah's account will be with Commerce Brokerage Services, Inc:

Commerce Brokerage Services, Inc
8000 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 1200
St. Louis, MO. 63105

For DTC Eligible (those securities that can be wire transferred between brokers):

For the "Upon This Rock Campaign"
#0226
National Financial Services, Inc. LLC FBO
Account # 026-639222
Account Name: Messiah Lutheran Church-Upon This Rock Campaign

For any other gift (But not for the endowment fund which has a separate account)
#0226
National Financial Services, Inc. LLC FBO
Account # 026-638676
Account Name: Messiah Lutheran Church-General Account

The date and value of your gift to Messiah will appear on the brokerage statement the church receives. Messiah, through the Business Manager, will then advise you by letter of the official date and value of your gift to establish the proof you need for the I.R.S. and your tax deduction. In addition, your gift will be included and acknowledged to you in the giving report you receive from Messiah, quarterly and at year end. It is suggested that you contact Joy Ward, Church Bookkeeper who will handle the recording of your gift to confirm that it is credited to the purpose you desire.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact Paul Kirk, Treasurer 838-9553; Joy Ward, Church Bookkeeper 833-9096 or Nathan Carlson, Business Manager 881-2192.

Paul A. Kirk

Treasurer

May 26, 2006

*It should be noted that transfer of United States Savings Bonds, Series E, EE, H and HH are not suitable assets for this purpose.