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Legacy Giving

Beyond the offering, a gift of a portion of our income, many are fortunate to have the ability to do more. Gifts such as these come out of not only our excess, but out of a realization that a sacrificial gift comes from what we can share - a portion of our accumulated assets that we are called to offer up to His greater service.

In years past, the generosity of others has provided the foundation for us to build on Christ's ministry. Their legacy of worship and education space as well as program and ministry is that foundation. Recognizing this, we strive to also give of our accumulated assets as a springboard for future generations to come.

Many times such gifts come through our wills as a portion of our final estate upon death, and Silver Spring programs benefit greatly from such generosity. More often, however, folks respond to a call during their lifetimes which compels them to make such an offering. We refer to all such gifts as Legacy Gifts - building blocks we add to the future.

If you have been so called, this brief outline should help you to see the opportunity in multiplying your generosity to the great ends of the church. A simple cash contribution of any size can answer untold needs. The giver can choose from options mentioned below or simply let the officers of the church make an appropriate decision on how best to allocate the gift.

  1. The most basic gift is a response to a specific need voiced by the church. These funds supplement the annual operating funds and are expended in the current year for immediate use in a current program. Silver Spring has a long history of "meeting the challenge."
  2. At other times, a giver is responding to a personal calling. Such gifts are sometimes directed for a specific purpose and restricted in their use, subject to the wishes of the donor. They can even be non-monetary gifts but would generally be converted to cash for the opportunity that presents. All restricted gifts are subject to acceptance for appropriateness and in meeting the mission of the church.
  3. Gifts made into the Silver Spring Fund will boost current and even future programs by making additional funds available as needed and requested by boards and committees of the church. The donor is not required to determine where a need exists, but rather, this Fund can serve to seed all work of the church. All church bodies are eligible to apply to use available funds, including Mission, Fellowship, Worship and Membership and decisions to disburse monies from the Silver Spring Fund are made by the church officers. Not only do these funds enhance our ongoing ministry, but they can provide for new opportunities or even the training of church members by providing Christian Education Scholarships.
  4. The New Heritage Fund is another source of immediately available (non-permanent) funds for church use. Gifts to this Fund are an opportunity to give in perpetuity since the funds are not kept liquid but rather invested in such a way to provide an income stream to the church in a continuous never-ending way. Similar to an endowment, the effort is made to provide a perpetual stream of income while allowing the Fund to grow in size. In this way, gifts keep on giving for the continual needs of new generations here and should grow with inflation to ensure their relative value for future needs. The fund is technically non-permanent, so the principal could be accessed by the church officers in the event of a need to do so.
  5. The most promising gift opportunity is with gifts to permanent funds. Such gifts supplement existing funds and in combination with a directed purpose, become an endowment to all future generations here. Gifts are never fully expended as they add to the asset base of the fund and continue to grow and to contribute greater and greater amounts into the program of the church. The Heritage Fund is our primary permanent fund which invests its principal (and is therefore not available to expend) and is being nurtured into a significant source of continuing income to fund the never-ending needs and opportunities of the future. Givers become part of a line of believers that, out of a single gift, make a significant impact every year and are the cornerstone of the church in this place.