a guide for united methodist church ambassadors

My life. My legacy. My global impact. | 1

!!


!!

Dear UMC global impact ambassador,

Thank you for making a global impact by empowering others to leave a legacy of life-change through giving to The United Methodist Church – both today and in the future. The critical task before you is to encourage fellow United Methodists to make a global impact for generations to come by making a gift to The Permanent Fund for The United Methodist Church. By helping those whom you love, lead, and serve plan for the future, you help them leave a legacy of lasting impact on their families, the Church and the world.

This ambassador guide is designed to give you easy steps to assist us in educating members of The United Methodist Church about the critical role of The Permanent Fund and how they can be involved. There are many opportunities to give to The Permanent Fund, such as:

• Gifts of cash • Stock • Property • Family heirlooms • Charitable remainder trusts • Annuities• Donor advised funds• Gifts through estate plans

The most popular method of giving to The Permanent Fund is through an estate plan. The process of estate planning is simply deciding how, when, and to whom we will transfer the stewardship of what God has given to us when we are no longer able to serve as stewards ourselves. It’s important that everyone has a plan in place for the future. Statistics reveal, however, that as many as 70 percent of adults do not have a will.

By using the suggestions in this guide as well as coming up with your own creative ideas, you can show others how the time invested in will and estate planning will reap many benefits—both for the person’s family and the Church. In fact, the largest gifts your church will ever receive will likely come from someone’s estate plan. Additionally estate plans that name The Permanent Fund will also help fund worldwide ministries that serve the poor and spread the love of Christ where it is needed most.

Truly, one person can make a global impact for generations to come. As members of The United Methodist Church consider planning for the future, we hope you can help others consider The Permanent Fund as the best method to make a lasting impact through the Church.

Thank you for your support!Sincerely,

Rhodes LoganDirector of Development, General Council on Finance and [email protected]


!!

The UMC global impact

StoryThis year marks the 125th anniversary

of The Permanent Fund which was established to provide a permanent source of funding for the ministries of The United Methodist Church. With your help, we can ensure it will continue to grow into the future. Between 2004 and 2010, The Permanent Fund contributed more than $3 million to provide a permanent source of funding for the ministries of The United Methodist Church and for missions around the

world.

Just as the Apostle Paul’s special collection provided needed money for the Gentile church in Jerusalem,

The United Methodist Church offers believers a specific vehicle through which donations can benefit people in

need around the world.

A gift to The Permanent Fund truly does make a

global impact.


!!

Your Impact as an AmbassadorHow can a UMC global impact ambassador help foster giving to The Permanent Fund? Below are suggestions for ways you can advocate for The Permanent Fund in your community, church and personal life. In addition to practical steps to take, we have included information about reaching key audiences for the fund, Biblical support for donating to the fund and stories of its impact. Please remember that The United Methodist Church Foundation staff will be walking with you through this process and is here to support you as you work to grow the mission of The United Methodist Church.

As we spread the word about The Permanent Fund and its impact, we will build a brighter tomorrow through the love of Jesus Christ and The United Methodist Church.

In Your Community

1. Host an event at your church or at a local restaurant to talk about the benefits of The Permanent Fund for The United Methodist Church around the world.

2. Invite a select group of couples to attend a smaller event in your home or the home of a friend to introduce The Permanent Fund in a non-threatening way.

3. Hold an estate-planning seminar at your church or in conjunction with another United Methodist Church in your area.

In Your Church

1. Contact your pastor to explain the importance of planned giving and the impact of The Permanent Fund for The United Methodist Church.

2. If your church has a Planned Giving Committee, ask if they would assist you in promoting The Permanent Fund at your church.

3. Ask for a series of articles to be published in your church bulletin and the online newsletter. We will provide all the information directly to your church in a timely manner.

4. Request that a UMC global impact link to be added to your church’s website.

5. Encourage church members to sign up for the UMC global impact e-newsletter, Facebook page (www.facebook.com/umcglobalimpact) and Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/umcglobalimpact).


!!

6. Utilize your church’s own social media accounts to spread the word. Rhodes Logan and his staff can provide weekly messages for your church’s website and Facebook page.

7. Ask your pastor to preach on the benefits of planning for the future of our gifts from God.

a. Sermon topic suggestions are included in this guide.

b. Testimonials in church are a tremendous way to tell the message and put a personal face on the mission of our Church. Rhodes Logan and his staff will work with you to connect to those who have benefited from the fund in your area.

c. Short videos are available to be used in a church service or at events at your church. They tell the story of the impact and importance of giving to The Permanent Fund to maintain these ministries in perpetuity.

8. Host a UMC global impact Sunday at your church focused on sharing engaging stories and information about the impact of The Permanent Fund on the mission of The United Methodist Church.

In Your Personal Life The success of The Permanent Fund in the future depends on making connections with individuals that have interest in giving through their estate plan.

1. Make a list of the five most avid supporters of the mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church in your area and help Rhodes Logan and his staff make connections with these individ-uals. This will be done discreetly and your name will not be used if you wish to remain anonymous in this process.

2. Support The Permanent Fund yourself by considering an outright or estate gift.


!!

Ge!ing Started

Visit www.umcglobalimpact.org and download the free Your Legacy: A Christian Guide to Planning Your Will and Trust (or complete it online). A copy can also be mailed to your home. Contact Rhodes Logan at [email protected] or (615) 369-2382.

As you are filling out the guide, remember that Rhodes Logan is available to assist in the process.

Decide how you’d like to include The Permanent Fund for The United Methodist Church in your estate planning.

This guide will save time and expense when visiting your attorney, since you have already recorded the decisions about your estate plan. If you would like assistance in recommending an attorney in your area, we can help with this as well.

If you have an existing estate plan, it is very easy and inexpensive to add The Permanent Fund. Rhodes Logan can share details on adding an addendum to your current plan.

Rhodes LoganDirector of Development

General Council on Finance and AdministrationPhone: (615) 369-2382

[email protected]

How can I learn more about estate planning, financial stewardship, and The Permanent Fund for The United Methodist Church?


!!

Understanding Your Audience

Baby Boomers and Seniors

The Baby Boomer generation is reaching the age range to make larger gifts to The United Methodist Church and will be a major focus of our efforts to build The Permanent Fund. As we educate Baby Boomers and Seniors about UMC global impact, it’s important to understand their demographics and motivations.

What the Research Says

Boomers value these four pillars of legacy: • Values and life lessons

• Personal possessions of emotional value

• Wishes and directions to be fulfilled

• Financial assets/real estate

Non-financial aspects such as ethics, morality, faith, and religion are 10 times more important to both Baby Boomers and the Great Depression Generation than the financial aspects of a legacy transfer.

Who will leave a gift in their will?

The people who are not currently donating but who are most likely to consider naming a charity in their will are:

• Baby Boomers

• Educated (with at least a bachelor’s degree)

• Motivated primarily by both “doing good” and “doing what is expected”

Income level was NOT found to affect the likelihood that a donor would bequest a charitable gift in their will.


!!

Biblical Support for UMC global impact

Biblical background

The Bible features more than 800 Scriptures on the topic of money. Obviously, the Holy Spirit knew humanity’s struggle with financial matters.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul outlines a model of Christian stewardship. Just as modern-day ministers struggle to educate, inform, and motivate generosity, fiscal responsibility, and thoughtful stewardship among their congregations, Paul, too, faced many of the same challenges among his people.

Paul spent almost 10 years soliciting funds from churches to help the Jerusalem believers who, as a result of a famine, were facing economic crisis. Scripture tells us Paul and Barnabas delivered a monetary gift during an initial famine-relief visit to Jerusalem in A.D. 46 (Acts 11:29-30). Believers who followed Paul continued to give to the Judean church until the collection effort was successfully completed and funds delivered in A.D. 57.

Commentaries offer some insight into Paul’s motives for undertaking such a fundraising effort. Modern-day Christians should likewise be motivated similarly:

• The need was genuine. Paul understood the persistent food shortages and economic challenges.

• The relief fund signified the importance of interdependence among believers worldwide. The Corinthians’ surplus supplied the needs of the Judean churches so that the Judean churches could, in turn, meet the needs of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 8:14).

• The collected funds for the Gentile church was a tangible example of the inclusivity of the gospel.

• Finally, Paul emphasized that generous giving only comes as God blesses and enables us to do so. Generous giving is an act of divine grace (8:1).


!!

Guides for Sermons, Lessons, and Other Messages

Topic: Giving Because God Gave First

Scriptures: Psalm 116: 1-14 1 Corinthians 4:7 James 1:17 1 John 4:9-10

Topic: Giving Sacrificially to God

Scriptures: Malachi 1 Proverbs 3:9 Luke 21:1-4

Topic: Being Responsible Stewards of God’s World

Scriptures: Matthew 25:14-30 Romans 14:12 Psalm 24:1, 50:10

Topic: Faithful Giving: Trusting God to Provide So We May Give

Scriptures: Genesis 4 Hebrews 11:2-4 1 Corinthians 16:2 2 Corinthians 9:7


!!

Stories of Impact

The stories of the ways in which The Permanent Fund has impacted lives are countless. This endowment fund allows us to reach into communities and minister all around the world. Telling stories is one of the most powerful ways to connect potential donors to the true impact and legacy of their decision. Below are several stories of projects supported by The Permanent Fund that you can use to illustrate the importance of maintaining this resource.

Chicago Church Shows “The World Is My Neighborhood”Henri Giles, freelance writer and producer based in Nashville, Tenn.

The Rev. Robert Biekman has a way of simplifying complex issues. He is even known as Pastor B. — just one example of his preference for keeping things simple and to the point. For five years, he has served as senior pastor of Chicago’s Southlawn United Methodist Church on the city’s South Side.

In his ministry, Biekman has taken a hands-on approach to dealing with the many social issues endangering his church’s neighborhood. His dedication links directly to his theology. “John Wesley said that the world is my parish,” Biekman explained. “And if you think about the world as our parish, then we need to begin in the neighborhood.”

Chicago has seen its share of violent crimes in 2012 and is desperately trying to reverse a recent 38 percent increase in murders since 2011. Some of the murder victims have lived in close proximity to Southlawn. It would be easy to focus on delivering a message on Sunday mornings and letting residents and parishioners solve the neighborhood’s problems, but that is not Pastor B.’s style.

“I’m a firm believer that when God appoints a pastor or when our church is put in an area, it’s there to serve not just the needs of the members, but also the needs of that community,” he said. “We have to be a light in that community. We ought to be able to shout on Sunday morning and still be relevant from Monday through Saturday.”


!!

Pastor B. chooses to be relevant by being active. Members collaborate with groups in their Calumet Heights neighborhood, including the Chicago Police Department, local government and businesses. This partnership resulted in the Neighborhood Intern Project, which seeks to engage young people and allows them to determine how their community could improve.

“We saw it as an opportunity to be able to provide some positive influence in the lives of young people,” said Pastor B. “But the part that really grabbed me was that they would take ownership and leadership in this program, and the young people would connect with older adults and seniors. It was a way to bridge that generational gap in an effective way.”

Thanks to a $6,000 Ethnic Local Church grant (which is funded by The Permanent Fund) from The United Methodist Board of Church and Society, the program can expand its community projects and have a greater impact in Calumet Heights. The goal of the grants is to strengthen the ethnic local church through education, advocacy, or leadership training and development as congregations engage in social justice.

When the Neighborhood Intern Project teams are working, it sends a powerful message to other young people. “The others passing by will see our kids cleaning up, and they’ll become interested,” said Pastor B.

“It’s been a blessing because officers with the Chicago Police Department will come out and grill hot dogs, and they’ll give us some special attention because we are in the inner city.”

Participants wear blue t-shirts that read, “Neighborhood Intern Project.” “Instead of identifying with a gang, with a white or red or black t-shirt, they’re identifying with this positive program,” Pastor B. said.

IMPACT YOUR NEIGHBOR.The Permanent Fund supports active outreach and development in local communities.


!!

The Permanent Fund is the financial lifeline to a long list of Christian mission and ministry throughout the denomination. By supporting UMC global impact, congregations play a part in making sure God’s work in the world is done.

The New Mission had a dream: to make a significant difference in the Kapanga region (southwest area) of the Congo by establishing an ongoing, long-term presence for medical care and a self-sustaining nutrition program.

In April 2010, a trial nutrition program for severely malnourished children was implemented by a New Mission team. That team brought a “Ready to Use Therapeutic Food” (RUTF) (known in some circles by the brand name of “Plumpy’nut”) to this small community. This product has been shown to be highly effective in treating malnourishment. It is an energy-dense paste made up of ground, roasted peanuts mixed with powdered milk, oil, sugar, and a highly specialized vitamins/minerals mix.

It needs no water or refrigeration and can be eaten “as is” once produced. Plumpy’nut has been used extensively by Doctors Without Borders, a medical relief agency, calling it a “revolution in nutrition.” It is now endorsed and supported by other agencies such as UNICEF and World Vision.

Overcoming Chronic Child Malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Janet Kaiser and Dean Meyer, Pacific Northwest Annual Conference

Photograph courtesy of UMNS

After a successful trial, the ministry wanted to bring this nutritional resource permanently to these communities. The challenge was that transport of a product outside the local area is difficult and expensive. To solve this problem, in spring of 2012, we brought in manual large-volume mixing machines and hand-grinding machines specifically for producing this product in regions without electricity. These machines allow villagers in hard-to-reach locations such as Kapanga to produce the product themselves while creating jobs for the community. The local laborers grind the peanuts to create the final product will earn a wage, allowing them to become productive members of their small community, as well as generate income for local peanut farmers. Our hope is to assist the local health care staff to physically set up the peanut grinder and mixer, work with them on purchase of local milk, sugar, and oil, bring in the highly specialized powdered vitamin/mineral mixture, reinforce training done in 2010, work with them on the supply chain process, and set them free to begin this program!

The strength and beauty of this program is that it is designed to empower the local Congolese people to take and retain ownership of the program from the outset. This must remain their program as they maintain ownership and administration of the program. They will assess who qualifies for the program and then make enough of the product to meet the needs of the children they enroll in the program by hand cranking their own fortified peanut paste and distributing it to the qualifying residents. While it will become their program, we must walk beside them throughout the years to come because in Christ, they are members of our family. These are our sisters and brothers, our kids, our grandbabies.


!!

IMPACT THE WORLD.The Permanent Fund supports ministries that engage with the people living in poverty around the world.


!!

New Church Development in VietnamThe Rev. Ut To, Country Director and Mission Superintendent of

The United Methodist Vietnam Mission Initiative

Twenty years ago, God laid on our hearts a vision of bringing The United Methodist Church to Vietnam. Having experienced Methodism in the United States, my wife Karen and I wanted to take The United Methodist Church to the Vietnamese people in our homeland. So, in 2002, the year Karen and I were sent back to Vietnam as Global Ministries’ missionaries, The United Methodist Church in Vietnam was born.

Our goal from 2002 to 2010 was to establish 39 churches—one for each of the 39 provinces of Vietnam. But by 2008, the Lord had given us 57 new churches, exceeding our goal by more than 45 percent! Building on this model, we were able to establish 63 new churches in 2009 and 85 new churches in 2010. Today, Vietnam has more than 200 United Methodist churches. We refer to churches that have 25 to 75 members as small churches; 75 to 150 members, as medium churches; and more than 150 members as large churches.

In The United Methodist Churches thriving in Vietnam today, we call our Wesleyan class meetings “cell groups.” Their main purpose is evangelism. A cell group in Binh Thuy, Can Tho, heard that an impoverished widow was living in the village without assistance. The group leader assigned four members to visit her and her family.

The widow was unemployed and very lonely. The group members talked with her and suggested ways that she could make a living. They loaned her some start-up money and helped her plant herbs and vegetables on the land around her house. This garden would give her food for herself and her family, along with extra food to sell in the market.

IMPACT ETERNITY.The Permanent Fund supports new places of worship for unreached people.


!!

The widow was touched by these acts of kindness. She asked: “Who are you? Why are you helping me?” They answered: “We are members of The United Methodist Church and we belong to a cell group near you. We would like to invite you to our next meeting.”

From then on, she came to the cell-group meetings. Her business is doing well. She earns enough to feed her family and even has extra funds to help her relatives. She accepted Christ at one of the cell-group meetings and helped bring her whole family and many of her relatives to Christ. She is now a faithful member within that cell group—which, today, has grown into a brand new church in Ba Se, Can Tho.

Photograph courtesy of UMNS


!!

Thank you

Thank you again for becoming a UMC global impact ambassador. If you have questions about UMC global impact please contact:

Rhodes Logan, Director of Development

General Council on Finance and Administration

1 Music Circle North P.O. Box 340029

Nashville, TN 37203-0029

[email protected]

www.umcglobalimpact.org

www.facebook.com/umcglobalimpact

www.twitter.com/umcglobalimpact


!!

Recommended books:

The Spirituality of Fundraising, Henri Nouwen (Upper Room, ISBN 978-0835810449)

Enough, Revised and Updated: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity, Adam Hamilton (Abingdon Press, 2012 [revised], ISBN 978-1426742071)

As a gift for becoming an Ambassador

for UMC global impact, you will

receive a free copy of the book

Enough: Discovering Joy through

Simplicity and Generosity

[Special Edition]

written by Adam Hamilton.