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FOUNDATION NEWS Caring for the Ministry of Grace: "Ecclesia Perpetua" April 2009 | ||||
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Is that Goofy or What? | |||||
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No, that is not goofy! A foundation is defined in Webster's as "the basis upon which something stands or is supported". In the case of Grace Lutheran Church Foundation, it supports the mission of Grace Lutheran Church in many ways - since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $336,000 to support the work of our Church.
The Foundation received its initial support from a bequest from the Ronnenkamps. This was actually the stimulus for the creation of the Foundation. Since then, the Foundation has received thoughtful and generous support from many members of the church and has grown in serving the mission of the church. However, even our Foundation needs continued support; otherwise it may lose its strength and ability to respond to those unique needs of the church. Most of the support of the Foundation comes from two main sources: wills or trusts of persons or families that leave a certain amount of funds or property to the Foundation, and memorials to honor those members of the church who have passed on. We will provide more information later about how one can participate in supporting the Foundation, but for now we thought you might just like to read about two recent types of gifts: Clarice Akerson, a member of Grace for 40 years, died August 31, 2008. She served on the church council and participated in fellowship groups throughout the years. She |
enjoyed singing in the choir. Although many of us remember Clarice as a quiet, gracious lady, she was very active as a teacher of special education children, including children of Oregon School for the Blind and Salem Academy. Before her death, Clarice and her husband Stan, established a trust, and in their will provided a generous gift from the trust to Grace Lutheran Church. This kind of gift, and many others like it, certainly helps our church grow in our commitments to serve the community of God.
Glenn Sykes was a member of Grace for many years; after he retired from the Forest Service, he was custodian at Grace for ten years. Even after that, Glenn served his church in countless ways. He was a teller for Sunday offerings, he always showed up for work days, he participated in small groups, helped with office needs, and always was there to offer a helping hand. Glenn was a quiet man but he was a giant in service to his church. Many of us contributed to the Foundation in recognition of his devotion to the church. We can be pleased that through these memorial gifts, Glenn will be remembered and his good work will be continued. In future issues of this newsletter, we will provide more information about wills, trusts, annuities, memorials, and other ways in which every member of the church can support the Foundation. Remembering the good works and the faith of members of our congregation is certainly a fitting memorial. What can be better than supporting the good works of our church! | ||||
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Changes in the Foundation. There have been changes in the list of Foundation directors during the past year. In 2008, John King resigned because of health issues he was facing. We thank him sincerely for the wisdom and guidance he provided over many years of service on the Board. Tom Kiersky agreed to complete the last few months of John's term, and has not been appointed to a three-year term of his own.
At the beginning of 2009, Jeff Beck's latest term on the Board came to an end, and he decided not to seek reappointment. He also merits our thanks for his many years of shared insight and financial expertise. Neil Christensen has been appointed to succeed Jeff, so the Board enthusiastically welcomes him and Tom. The Grace Lutheran Church Foundation is an Oregon corporation, and its directors serve as legacy and memorial stewards for Grace Lutheran Church.
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