The Congregation Council has called as special meeting for Sunday, March 1 at 12pm. Members are being asked to accept the recommendations of the Generosity Committee to dedicate portions of the Rose Diestler Estate Gift to the following:
- A tithe (10% or $76,205.61 in January) to be split evenly between Lutheran Disaster Response and Keystone Community Services. (click on the organization name to learn more)
- An allocation of $200,000.00 for a 4-to-1 match for Prince of Peace’s Enduring Gifts Fund (more on this below)
- The remaining balance ($485,850.45 in January) for congregational discernment in 2020
About Keystone Community Services
Keystone Community Services helps individuals, youth, families and seniors in our community have the resources and skills they need to live with hope and dignity. Keystone provides vital, community-based services aimed at strengthening our community, with a commitment to serving the most vulnerable people with the greatest needs. Our services are designed with community input to meet the aspirations and respond to the changing needs of those we serve, including young people and families, seniors, and those needing food services or crisis support. ( Food and housing insecurity, medical crises, loss of a job or transportation and social isolation all weaken the stability of a household). Individuals and families turning to Keystone often come in crisis and stay to build stability. Keystone delivers high-quality, evidence-based services in the St. Paul neighborhood gathering places that make our community stronger.
About Lutheran Disaster Response
Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is an ELCA ministry known for responding to disasters and staying until the job is done. Lutherans are known as the ones who come quickly and stay until the recovery is done. From their website, ldr.org:
“Lutheran Disaster Response brings God’s hope, healing and renewal to people whose lives have been disrupted by disasters in the United States and around the world. When the dust settles and the headlines change, we stay to provide ongoing assistance to those in need.
“We recognize that every disaster is local. Because of this, we believe every response needs to be rooted in the community; we work to accompany that community from immediate relief through long-term recovery.
“Lutheran Disaster Response strives to help the church continue to be church in the midst of disaster — following Christ’s call to bring hope and healing to our neighbor in need. Some key areas of work include:
- Providing emotional and spiritual care for people who have been affected by a disaster and for leaders who respond to a disaster
- Coordinating volunteers through our local affiliates
- Assisting refugees in a holistic way by meeting the varied needs of the community
- Promoting disaster risk-reduction by helping communities build their assets thereby reducing the effects of likely disasters
- Providing long-term recovery efforts by addressing the unmet needs months or even years after a disaster strikes”
About the “Enduring Gifts Fund”
The church’s Enduring Gift fund is an endowment fund organized in the 1990s. The rules adopted at that time say it will be activated when the balance reaches $250,000. It now has a balance of just over $4,000. When it reaches $250,000 the Congregation will elect a committee who will make annual recommendations to the congregation on how to spend 5% of the current balance each year. To reach $250,000 and to involve church members in the process, the Generosity Committee and Council recommend to the congregation that the Rose Diestler Gift fund use $200,000 in a 4-1 match of member gifts so the Enduring Gift fund will reach $250,000.