First of all, the elders want everyone to know we are optimistic about the future! We believe there are significant opportunities for growth and progress in the years ahead. We are grateful for each member and for all of the blessings God is giving to us right now. We appreciate the way our members demonstrate love, devotion, and service to Christ and His church. We believe God will continue to bless us as we strive to do His will. One element we have to consider as we look toward the future is financial stability for the church. The primary purpose for this article is to talk about how we can help secure the future for the White Rock church family.
To that end, we are announcing the formal establishment of The White Rock Church of Christ Endowment Fund. We say the “formal establishment” because it already exists. Through generous donations and bequests from the estates of former members, this fund has been in place for several years. The foresight and wisdom of former elders, particularly with the help of Shelby French, has resulted in a financial resource that has already been assisting our congregation tremendously. This fund is held in a Charles Schwab investment account that is managed for us by an independent financial advisor in Plano. With the advisor’s help, the fund has grown. It has been a real lifeline for the church because our weekly contributions have not been meeting our budget for several years. The fund has enabled us to maintain our current level of local ministry efforts as well as our own mission outreach. Our advisor has suggested that if we can get the fund to a certain level then it should provide a reliable annual income stream for the church for many years to come. The great thing about it is that we already have a significant percentage of that amount! The more we raise the amount over this level, the more help for the church so we can continue and even expand our current ministry efforts. The way this fund is set up is the same as with all of the finances of the church. The elders oversee and approve all expenditures from the fund.
Because there has been a bit of confusion among some of our members, please be sure to recognize the difference between The White Rock Fund and The White Rock Church of Christ Endowment Fund. The White Rock Fund is the mission outreach established by David Tarbet. It has no connection with the church and we receive no benefit from it in any way. The White Rock Church of Christ Endowment Fund is strictly for the support and ongoing operations of the church family here.
How can our members participate in helping to secure the financial future for the White Rock church family? You can make direct donations of money, property, or other assets such as appreciated stock. There can be some significant tax advantages with some donations, for example, appreciated stock. You can also make a bequest of any amount in your will. If you have any questions, please feel free to speak to the elders.
