Give

THERE ARE SEVERAL BENEFITS TO ONLINE GIVING FOR BOTH YOU AND OUR CHURCH.  SOME OF THEM ARE. . .

Faithfully Honoring God  – When you sign up to give online you are deciding in advance to faithfully give. God always blesses that kind of faith! The Bible teaches that we are to honor God with the “First Fruits” of our labor (Proverbs 3:9). By setting up a recurring contribution that is scheduled to come out of your account on the day you specify, you can ensure that your First Fruits are faithfully given back to God.

Simplicity – You won’t have to remember whether you gave this month or send in an offering by mail when you’re on a trip.

Focus – Instead of having to worry about writing a check and filling out an envelope during the service, you can be fully focused on the worship service, knowing that you have already given your offering.

Do you want 100% of your gift to go to the church? Giving through your bank’s bill pay avoids the 3% fee associated with direct online giving.

We give tithes and offerings

• To make Great Commissionaries
• Because giving changes lives—including ours

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

What is a Tithe?

A tenth of your income. Leviticus 27:30, “Every tenth of the land’s produce, grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.”

Why should I tithe? Tithing is a way of teaching us that God must be our first priority. Deuteronomy 14:22-23, “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year…., that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.”

When should I tithe? We are to return the tithe to God first—before we start spending money on other things. Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

Returning the tithe to God helps us remember that He is the owner of everything.  Psalm 50:10-12, “For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness.”

God is the source of all our wealth.  Deuteronomy 8:18, “Remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

Jesus endorsed tithing.  Matthew 23:23, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”

God promises to bless us if we are faithful in tithes and offerings.  Malachi 3:10, ““Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.””

We should give to God’s work willingly. 2 Corinthians 9:7, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

You can’t out-give God. Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

God says we rob Him if we don’t give tithe and offerings.  Malachi 3:8, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

We should give in proportion to the blessing God has given us.  Deuteronomy 16:17, “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.”

NEED HELP IN FINANCIAL PLANNING?
Consider the following websites, which teach you how to manage your money God’s way:

Dave Ramsey | www.daveramsey.com
Host to the nationally syndicated “The Dave Ramsey Show,” Dave Ramsey provides financial advice, resources and classes to teach families how to achieve financial health. Includes helpful money tools for maintaining budgets as well as getting out of debt.

Master Your Money | www.masteryourmoney.com
Features the trusted advice of Ron Blue, who has more than forty years of experience in the financial services industry and has authored more than 15 books on personal finance from a biblical perspective.

Crown Financial Ministries | www.crown.org
God is using Crown Financial Ministries around the globe to teach His financial principles and transform lives.

Estate Planning and Giving Strategy Questions?

Charitable Giving Strategies

 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:20

There are a number of giving strategies which cannot only benefit the church, but the giver. Some have a passion for generosity and position in life who can benefit from ‘smart’ approaches to giving. Many of these strategies may not apply to anyone’s personal situation, but there may be strategies that should be considered.

1. Life insurance. If someone wants to make a deferred gift to the church, they could purchase a policy of life insurance naming the church as the beneficiary, or the church could be named as a partial beneficiary. For example, someone has a $100,000 life insurance policy and they designate their beneficiary as follows: Beech Haven Baptist Church (20%) Children (80%). Furthermore, one may have a life insurance policy which they obtained when their children were young. Now the children are grown and self-sufficient and the life insurance policy is no longer essential for family purposes. The church could be named as the beneficiary or partial beneficiary of such a policy. Yet another alternative is for the policy owner to give an insurance policy to the church. This would result in a charitable deduction equal to the cash value of the policy at the time of the gift. The church could then maintain the policy and pay future premiums, or alternatively, the church could cash in the policy and take payment of the cash value.
2. Gift of publicly traded stock or securities. The benefits of giving appreciated stock or securities to the church could best be explained by way of example: Let’s assume that someone acquires stock in ABC Corporation for $10,000 and has held that stock for a number of years. The stock has appreciated in value and is now worth $50,000. One could sell the ABC stock for $50,000.00 and would have a taxable capital gain of $40,000 ($50,000 – $10,000). Applying the applicable federal and state capital gains tax, the shareholder would pay approximately $10,000 in federal and state capital gains tax. This leaves a net amount of $40,000 which could be given to the church.The result is that the church receives $40,000, the donor receives a $40,000
   charitable deduction, and the federal and state governments receive $10,000.  Conversely, if the donor gave the ABC stock to the church and the church sold the
   stock, the church would not be taxed on the sale of the stock. The result is the
   church will receive $50,000.00, and the donor would receive a $50,000.00
   charitable deduction and no taxes would be owed.
   Retirees should know that RMD requirements can be met with Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) to the church and receive the same beneficial tax treatment (and possible more).
3. Gift of appreciated real estate. The above-described scenario dealing with publicly traded stock also applies to a gift of appreciated real estate. If the real estate is given to the church and the church sells the real estate, then the church pays no taxes, and the donor receives a charitable deduction for the fair market value of the real estate given to the church. The fair market value of such real estate will be deemed to be the price at which the real estate was sold by the church.
   When considering a gift of real estate to the church, it may be helpful to ask the following questions:
   1. Do you have any current use for this property?
   2. Do you have a financial need to retain this property?
   3. Would a large capital gains tax be due if you sold this property? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to consider making a gift of the property to the church.

   If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to consider making a gift of the property to the church.

4. Gift of remainder interest in residence. You can convey a remainder interest in your home to the church but continue to utilize your home for the remainder of your lifetime. This could be done by executing a current deed that transfers ownership of your home to the church upon your death. When the deed is recorded you may be entitled to a charitable income tax deduction for the fair market value of the remainder interest. In other words, you would take the fair market value of the home and subtract from that fair market value, the value of your right to utilize the property for the rest of your life based upon actuarial tables.
5. Trusts. A trust can be utilized to give a partial interest in an income-earning asset to the church. The primary way that a trust can be utilized is through a charitable lead trust or a charitable remainder trust.
   With a Charitable Lead Trust, a church member who does not need current income from an income producing asset could contribute that asset to a trust and the trust will pay the income, or a certain percentage of the value of the trust, to the church each year, either for a fixed period of years, or for the lifetime of the donor, depending on what the donor wishes to do. This way, the church received current income and the donor receives a partial tax deduction for a charitable contribution based upon the amount of income going to the church. At the end of a specified number of years, or upon the death of the donor, the remaining principal amount of the trust may be distributed back to the donor, or, at the donor’s death, to the donor’s heirs.A Charitable Remainder Trust is the reverse of a charitable lead trust. With a charitable remainder trust, the donor places a specified amount in the trust, and the donor typically receives the income from the trust, or a percentage of the value of the trust, for a specified number of years, or for the life of the donor, or for the combined life of the donor and donor’s spouse. Upon the expiration of the specified term, or upon the death of the donor and donor’s spouse, the amount of assets remaining in the trust would be distributed to the church. The donor will receive an immediate charitable deduction for an actuarial value of the gift to the charitable remainder trust, in the year that the trust is created.
6. Gift to endowment fund. Beech Haven Baptist Church has established an endowment fund which is administered through the Georgia Baptist Foundation. All funds donated to the endowment fund, together with any and all income utilized thereon will benefit Beech Haven Baptist Church. The purpose of the endowment fund is, like other endowment funds, to create a fund which will generate income which may be utilized by the church. The intent of the endowment is that the principal not be utilized.

After consulting with your financial planner, estate attorney or banking institution, you can contact our Business Office at 706.548.2246 or  office@beechhaven.org. Need a recommendation for a financial planner, estate attorney, or giving strategist? Contact John Walker at  jw@beechhaven.net or 706.201.5414.

If you have any questions about the giving process, your giving records, or giving stocks, mutual funds, ETFs or non-cash gifts, please contact Glenda DiGanci at   office@beechhaven.net or call 706.548.2246 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).

If you have any questions about giving, generosity and giving strategies, please contact Administrative Pastor John Walker at  jw@beechhaven.net or 706.548.2246.

Southern Baptists are a fellowship of almost 16 million members in approximately 50,000 churches in all 50 states and Canada. These churches work together through approximately 1,174 associations, 42 state conventions, and the Southern Baptist Convention to accomplish through voluntary cooperation far more than they could ever do alone.

The Southern Baptist worldwide missions enterprise is funded in large part through the unique, efficient, and equitable Cooperative Program. A portion of the undesignated tithes and offerings of individuals received by SBC churches becomes Cooperative Program dollars.

Beech Haven gives 10.25% of all undesignated receipts (your tithes & offerings) to the Cooperative Program that helps fund the missions and ministries of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and the SBC’s International Missions Board, North American Missions Board, Six Seminaries and other important efforts. Additionally, Beech Haven supports our local Sarepta Association for local training. Beech Haven also support local ministries by giving 1.125% of undesignated receipts to the Sarepta Association.

Why Give to an Endowment?

• You want to ensure that a strong gospel witness will remain in Athens until the Lord returns.
• Your gift will ‘re-give’ itself five times over the next 100 years.
• You want a way to give a large offering without disrupting the general budget.
• You want to give through your estate.

Who Manages Beech Haven’s Endowment?

Beech Haven’s Endowment is managed by the Georgia Baptist Foundation who has overseen this type of giving since 1941.

How Do I Give to Beech Haven’s Endowment?

Gifts to the endowment can be given directly to Beech Haven and earmarked “Endowment”.

Questions?

Contact Administrative Pastor John Walker –  jw@beechhaven.net or 706.548.2246 or Business Manager Glenda DiGanci – office@beechhaven.net for more information.

Author Mark Dillon describes three types of gifts: Regular, Special and Ultimate.

Regular

Regular gifts are tied to the calendar of the church more than the timing of the giver and usually consists of gifts toward normal operating expenses (budget).

Special

Special gifts are requested and received in relation to the timing and needs of the church.  Special gifts at Beech Haven include: Mission Offerings: Annie Armstrong, State Missions, Lottie Moon, Beech Haven Mission Projects; Love Offerings: Evangelists/Special Speakers, Personnel Transitions; Benevolence; and Capital Campaigns.

Ultimate

Ultimate gifts are determined by the giver, not the church.  Not always, but most often these gifts are given through trusts or estates.

Our church’s Stewardship Committee created the “Beech Haven Great Commissionary Fund” as an endowment to facilitate ‘Ultimate’ gifts.