P r e s b y t e r i a n
F o u n d a t i o n ’s
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God’s Hidden Treasures is serving the needs of the disabled and orphaned in the country of Ukraine. Since its beginning in 1997, the ministry has expanded to include a wheelchair ministry, outreach ministry, and medical ministry.
Caring Relationship Centered Around Jesus Christ God’s Hidden Treasures is one of those gems of a ministry which grew from the heart of one faithful Christian and now serves thousands. Its budget is small. Its staff is small. But its impact is huge. And dozens of Presbyterian congregations are now engaged in its ministry to the “least
INSIDE : Presbyterian Church of Astoria Reinvented
of these” in Ukraine.
Make Giving More Convenient
The ministry was started by a Presbyterian woman from
Change to Investment Strategy Marks First Year
California, Nita Hanson, who by all accounts seems quite ordinary. Yet, because of her compassion, passion and faithfulness, God has clearly used her in extraordinary ways.
Partnering to Increase Funding for Your Mission
continued on page 3
©2013 A publication of the Presbyterian Foundation
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From Our President I’ve heard from pastors again and again – raising funds for their churches is one of the most daunting parts of their job. We are well trained to proclaim the Word and lead congregations in worship, to care for families in birth, sickness, and death. Many also have particular gifts for leadership, teaching, evangelism, and administration. But talking about money? Asking people to give? That’s not been at the center of our traditional seminary training.
about – from their local congregations to work in
That’s why the Presbyterian Foundation devotes so
desperate) and everything in between.
much energy to this very real need in the life of every pastor and congregation. We’re committed to partnering with pastors, walking alongside them as they share with their congregations all that the Bible has to say about
international missions (where the need is often
The Ministry Relations Officers are based in regional offices around the country, where they come to know particular regions of the country, and
generosity and its role in faithful Christian life.
where they can be easily accessed when needed.
We have a team of Ministry Relations Officers across
How do you keep giving strong throughout the
the nation to serve those in ministry. These talented women and men have served as pastors and ruling elders and hold advanced degrees that have informed them as to how best to approach the topics of stewardship, fundraising and generosity. They know the church – and they know how to build a culture of generosity within it. They lead seminars and workshops in congregations and presbyteries. They coach and counsel pastors, stewardship teams, and finance and endowment committees on how to maximize the impact of their work. With individual donors, they help to develop gifts for the ministries that those donors are most passionate
year? How do you start or grow an endowment fund? What does a pastor do when members want to give gifts online? And how can a pastor establish the largest kinds of gift possible through bequests or estates, all while maintaining dignified and strong relationships with their parishioners? These are just a few of the questions your Ministry Relations Officer can help with. Want to know more? Give them a call (see the regional locator on page 7). Learn now what talented and capable servants these men and women are. If I were to return to the pastorate today, they would be one of the first resources I’d turn to, in order to establish the strongest giving patterns in my church. I hope
The Presbyterian
you’ll invite them to help your church.
Foundation was established in 1799
In Christ,
to raise, steward, and distribute funds for mission. We work with congregations, councils, agencies and other entities to ensure that they have resources for mission today, tomorrow, and two hundred years from now.
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Rev. Tom Taylor, J.D., Ph.D. President and CEO
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continued from cover story
Caring Relationship Centered Around Jesus Christ God’s Hidden Treasures operates orphanages, provides wheelchairs, and has begun a strong program in diabetes prevention and treatment recognized by the Ukrainian government, to some of this former Soviet-bloc country’s most overlooked and desperately poor people. In 2012, Foundation President Tom Taylor accompanied the Ukrainian team that Nita has assembled to lead the ministry in a small town called Bila Tserkva. After touring their main offices and workshop where staff members assemble and repair the hardy wheelchairs that will be used on the rugged, and in many cases crumbling, streets of Bila Tserkva and other surrounding towns, the group went on a series of wheelchair deliveries to people’s homes. “I cannot tell you how meaningful and powerful it was as we drove to the tiny and severely
they live now is in great flux, and as it develops, has few safety nets for those at the bottom of society.
impoverished homes of some the wheelchair
As they received their chairs, boys who had been
recipients,” Taylor said.
raised in the orphanages that Nita started were given
Many of them, because of their deteriorating physical condition, had been otherwise confined to a bed or chair in their house for months or even years. The staff of God’s Hidden Treasures
the job of setting up the chair, then explaining how everything worked. Those boys who Nita called ‘life’s otherwise forgotten boys’ were so obviously proud and conscientious to do this meaningful work.
was so sensitive and intentional about making
The Foundation is working to assist and link ministries
sure that this was not merely about providing
like God’s Hidden Treasures with our new online giving
a free good or service. It was about starting a
and back office administration systems – ministries
lifelong, caring relationship with them centered
that typically are strapped financially and have few staff
around Jesus Christ. They would talk with the
members to otherwise handle such things.
recipients for a long time about their lives, families, struggles, and joys before presenting the wheelchair to them.
If you would like to learn more about God’s Hidden Treasures, or contribute to their work, please visit www. PresbyterianFoundation.org/treasures. In doing so, you
The recipients were broken people whose lives had
join the efforts of Nita and her team, reaching out to
been extremely mentally and physically difficult under
people in word and deed, with the love and compassion
the former Soviet system. The system under which
of Jesus Christ. 3 www.PresbyterianFoundation.org
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project re-gene : ration
Sale of Building Sparks Reinvention of Astoria Congregation The story of the Presbyterian Church of Astoria, New York is
Their decision to sell their property addressed two needs in the
one of sacrifice, faithfulness, and new life. Their story begins
community. First, a need for affordable housing for seniors – the
like so many other Presbyterian congregations – a neighborhood
old church was sold to a developer to build just such housing.
church, built up over generations, with beautiful facilities.
Funds from the sale, now stewarded by the Presbyterian
Then something shifts, members move further away from the
Foundation, provide for the second need – an English-speaking
church. Attendance declines. The sanctuary that used to hold
Presbyterian congregation for a growing population of young
hundreds now sees just a couple dozen on a Sunday morning.
artists and performers – in an area where worship in almost all
The remaining members of the Presbyterian Church of Astoria
the other churches takes place in another language.
looked at the neighborhood around them – considered its
“With that move, the congregation reestablished a new
population and its needs – and decided that the most faithful
identity for itself,” said Tony De La Rosa, interim executive
way forward would mean a radical change.
presbyter for the Presbytery of New York City. “The congregation began really taking on emergent Christianity as part of their worship experience. They began experiencing new life, new energy, certainly incredible creativity in worship and are really establishing what I think is going to be a landmark emergent style of Christianity in one of the most creative parts of New York City.” Today, the Presbyterian Church of Astoria looks very different. The young, growing congregation worships in rented space, and makes an intentional effort to get out in the community. “We went out Sunday into our neighborhood garden,” said Astoria’s new pastor, Thia Reggio. “We sometimes go out on the street or under the awning and have worship there. We can go out into the sculpture park or the
Make Giving More Convenient For St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Purcellville, Virginia,
he attended which, for Ziegler, raised some important
what began as a discussion quickly became a decision – a
questions. This inspired Ziegler to take the issue to the entire
hearty ‘yes’ to implementing a system of online giving
Stewardship Committee and then the Finance Committee to
through the Presbyterian Foundation.
get approvals to proceed.
Stewardship chair Scott Ziegler explained the rationale
“An article I read from the conference talked about how old
behind the decision. His first exposure to the idea of
fashioned churches were when it came to taking money,”
online giving, or e-giving, was at a stewardship conference
Ziegler recalled. In today’s economic climate it is almost
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farmer’s market or any number of places to bring the gospel
there’s a lot of hope to be seen in that. I think if we look at what
message of love and justice.”
we’re actually trying to accomplish as a church, then through
Freed from a building that had become burdensome, the church
that loss, there’s a lot to be gained.”
is engaging its neighbors in new and exciting ways. And the
Is something like this possible for your church? The Presbyterian
seeds of something new and exciting are beginning to take root
Foundation works with congregations around the country who
- the fruit of faithful generations of Presbyterians.
sense God leading them to sell their buildings and step out
Micah Burgess, a professional musician and an elder says, “We really hope that the church will reach out to the community more. I think the fact that we have this space that’s not a traditional church building will help us do that. We’d like to see the church become more active in social programs and social
in faith in new directions. Some reinvent like Astoria. Some merge and sell a property to help fund the newly combined ministry. Others decide to close, and commit the proceeds of their property to endowing a legacy of mission, ministry, or new church planting.
outreach. We’re already active in supporting the arts and so
Contact Paul Grier at 800-843-9547 to discuss how we can help
we’re going to continue to do that.”
your church or another congregation in your presbytery.
“I think the thing that’s difficult is people get so used to the structure of the church and the comfort of what they feel the church is. That becomes a difficult thing to let go of. But I think once we get past that, we look at what the original church was
Photos: Members of Presbyterian Church of Astoria embrace the culture and mission of their church.
intended to be – which was just a small gathering – then I think
unheard of to be restricted to cash or check. Plus, Ziegler
the online feature was added, through April, online donations
noted, many of a younger generation do not even own a
have steadily increased with more than $6,000 given online.
checkbook and are already accustomed to and proficient at
Six individuals or couples are now giving a total of $3,160 on
paying their regular bills online.
a monthly recurring basis. By March close to ten percent of
Ziegler hopes the new system will provide more consistency in giving – with the ‘recurring’ option allowing for weekly,
the congregation’s total giving was via e-giving. Ziegler hopes this percentage will continue to increase.
monthly, or quarterly gifts whether the giver is actually at worship on a given Sunday morning or not. St. Andrew has been using online giving – via a ‘give now’ button on their website’s homepage. Since December, when
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New Investment Strategy: One Year Later One year ago, the Presbyterian Foundation partnered
bond asset allocation toward a diversified asset allocation that
with Cambridge Associates as Investment Advisor to the
is oriented around four key types of market exposure. These
endowment funds we steward for PC (USA) churches and
strategies include capital appreciation, diversification, inflation
ministries. Cambridge was selected based on their history of
and deflation sensitive strategies.
managing endowments, access to world class investment management resources and success with socially responsible investment mandates. The changes that have occurred this past year have been significant and very positive. We are happy to report these changes and the impact to the Fund.
Several philosophical tenets for constructing the BGSF portfolio and adding value above the long-term investment policy have been employed. The goal was to position the Fund portfolio to provide a stream of relatively stable and constant earnings in support of annual spending, and to preserve and enhance the real (inflation-adjusted) purchasing power of the
Transition and Current Positioning The fiscal year ending March 31, 2013, saw meaningful changes in the composition and investment strategy of the endowment fund portfolio (called the Balanced Growth
portfolio.
Performance for Year Ending March 31, 2013
Spending Formula Fund or BGSF). The Investment Committee of the Presbyterian Foundation defined a set of financial and
BGSF participated in the global market rally. For the
investment objectives for the BGSF Fund.
trailing one year ending March 31, 2013, BGSF returned +7.4%. This is in-line with the Policy Benchmark return of
• Financial Objective: to provide a stream of relatively stable and constant earnings in support of annual
+7.4%. Quarterly performance is available online at www. PresbyterianFoundation.org.
spending; and preserve and enhance the real (inflationadjusted) purchasing power of the Fund.
Looking forward, we have a high level of conviction in BGSF’s long-term asset allocation and the portfolio’s underlying
• Investment Objective: To attain a real total annualized return of at least 5.5%1, net of investment expenses,
investment managers. We continue to rigorously monitor the portfolio and will make adjustments where necessary.
on average, over a five-to-seven-year period. Secondary objectives are to (1) outperform the Fund’s long-term
The performance data shown is past performance. Past
investment policy benchmark; and (2) outperform the
performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment
median return of a pool of endowment funds with
return and prinicpal value of an investment will fluctuate and
broadly similar investment objectives and policies.
current market performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted.
In order to provide the greatest likelihood of achieving these objectives, a long-term investment policy was established. The BGSF Fund was transitioned from a traditional stock/
The calculation of real total return includes all realized and unrealized capital changes plus all interest, rent, dividend, and other income earned by the portfolio, adjusted for inflation, during a year.
1
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Partnering to Increase Funding for Your Mission At the Presbyterian Foundation, stewardship, finance and
need for the mission Christ calls you to do. Your Ministry
investment are our expertise. And our passions are the
Relations Officer can help access the strengths and
same as yours – your church, your mission and the ministry
weaknesses of your congregation’s finances and develop
of Jesus Christ.
a personalized, strategic fundraising plan tailored to
Through our Ministry Relations Program, the Foundation partners with your congregation to raise the funds you
your church. They will work together with you and your congregation to develop gifts that support your ministry far into the future.
Ministry Relations Officers
Eric Chavis
Lisa Longo
Stephen Keizer
Northwest Region 888-211-7030 eric.chavis@ presbyterian foundation.org
Central Region 866-710-5094 lisa.longo@ presbyterian foundation.org
Mid America Region 866-317-0751 stephen.keizer@ presbyterian foundation.org
Mary “Minner” Serovy Northeast Region 855-514-3077 mary.serovy@ presbyterian foundation.org
John Turner
Robert Hay
Olanda Carr
Southwest Region 866-860-3383 john.turner@ presbyterian foundation.org
Southeast Region 855-514-3152 robert.hay@ presbyterian foundation.org
East Region 888-711-1318 olanda.carr@ presbyterian foundation.org
7 www.PresbyterianFoundation.org
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200 East Twelfth Street Jeffersonville, IN 47130
FDN 01-13-02
Education
Health
Gifts entrusted to the Church Planting & Growth
Children, Youth & Young Adults
Foundation to steward are distributed to local and global missions and
$63,386,918
ministries as directed
Distributed to Missions in 2012
by the donors. These gifts represent the Discipleship
Global Mission
foresight of generous Presbyterians today and from generations past.
Leadership Development
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Social Services & Senior Living
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