A special gift
Pictured above: Pam with her great-nephew, Shaun, who attends St. Croix Lutheran High School.
Pam with her mother, Esther.
Pam Peterson says her parents, Will and Esther Bauer, were strong Christians who taught her the joy of worship, participating in the congregation, and giving to the Lord. This continued as she grew up, married, and remained active at church. She and her husband were not able to have children, but they were blessed with good jobs, so they supported the Lord’s work at their congregation and through other WELS ministries. They especially enjoyed giving to Christian education, thinking of how their nieces and nephews were blessed through their Lutheran schools.
A couple of years ago God called Pam’s 101-year-old mother to heaven. Pam decided to offer a special gift to honor her parents. She set up a charitable gift annuity with WELS Foundation. Pam shares, “It was one of the things my mom and dad had; they thought it was important enough to do. When my mom passed away in 2021, I took some of the funds that she gave me, and I started that for them in their memory.”
A charitable gift annuity has several benefits. It provides a tax deduction. The quarterly annuity payments that Pam receives are a reminder of her parents’ impact on her life. And Pam appreciates knowing that when she goes to heaven, the remainder of the gift will go to her church and school.
Pam thanks our Savior for the privilege of supporting his kingdom: “I do it because of all the grace the Lord has shown me throughout my life.”
Perhaps a charitable gift annuity is an opportunity for you to support Christ’s work. You can fund a gift annuity for yourself, a loved one, or a friend. And you can direct the remainder of the gift to be used by your congregation, school, synod, area Lutheran high school, or other WELS-affiliated ministry.
Here’s how a charitable gift annuity would work for someone 72 years of age:
Note that this illustration has payments beginning immediately. Payments can also be deferred to a future date. In addition, couples may arrange a gift annuity for both of their lives. You can do a personalized illustration based on your age. Another option is the deferred gift annuity, which provides a tax deduction now while payments start in the future.
If you’re ready to move ahead—or would just like to learn more at this point—your local WELS Christian giving counselor can help. There is no cost or obligation when working with a WELS Christian giving counselor. To get started, call us at 800-827-5482 or e-mail [email protected].
