Foundation Newsletter, November 2016

MATCHING FUNDS NOW AVAILABLE

Stretch Your Gift!

Interested in making a gift to the Willson Church Planting Fund? Whether your passion is for church planting or you just want to honor the Willsons or both, there is news you should know. The Foundation will provide from its Undesignated Fund up to $500,000 as matching funds for cumulative gifts given to the Willson Fund by June 30, 2017.

The purpose of this newly established fund is to provide financial support for church planting efforts at home and around the world that are strategic, missional, and reformed in character.

It has been established out of gratitude for the faithful ministry of the Willsons to our church and reflects their passion for the particular ministry of church planting.

You may contribute now or discuss ways in which you can participate by contacting Vicki Simmons at (901) 507-7898 or vicki.simmons@2pc.org.

The Strategic Nature of the Allison & Sandy Willson Church Planting Fund

By Ron Sadlow

It is a fitting tribute to Allison and Sandy Willson and a great worship of God, to grow this fund. Among all his good works on earth, God is biased toward the church, whom He calls his bride. In Matthew 16 Jesus told the disciples, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." Consider these 4 questions:

Who will build the Church?
Jesus will.  In Revelation 5 when the question is asked “Who is worthy to open the scroll of eternity?” the song the heavenly host sang was “Worthy are you (Jesus) to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth." Jesus will build his church.

Of what is the Church made?
It is not primarily buildings, but people worshipping together wherever they can. The church in Philippi began with a business lady-Lydia of the purple cloth; a slave girl who lost the power of divination; and a civic employee-a jailer and his family. In the same way He is redeeming people from every tribe, language, people and nation today. 

Whose Church?
And I will build “MY” church.  God’s plan has people from around the world chosen to be part of his church.  When Paul considered leaving Corinth God told him, “Don’t be afraid, I have many people in this city." Paul just had to be faithful to evangelize them.  Ephesians 1:4 says “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world." His gracious election means nothing will stop Him from gathering his sheep.

What will He build?

He didn’t say “hospitals, universities, seminaries, para-church ministries, etc”, but “I will build my CHURCH.” Other things are good, and complementary, but Christ is building first and foremost his bride, the church.

Flourishing Planting History

In founding the Willson Church Planting Fund, the 2PC Foundation is not only honoring Sandy and Allison, but enhancing a commitment that has been part of its character since its inception.  Consider the contribution to church planting through the grants that have been made beginning in 2001:

Domestically the Foundation has been a significant partner in:

• St. Patrick Church

• Downtown Church

• Esperanza

Through the Shalom project they have laid the foundation for future church plants and are ready to help start two more churches in under-served parts of our city along with our Home Missions Ministry. 

Additionally their contribution has allowed our Home Missions Committee to be strategic partners in our daughter “All Saints Church” here in the city, as well as supporting at least 10 other church plants through our denomination, our missionaries, and our friends.

Internationally they have made it possible for the World Missions Committee to have funds available to help plant churches in Germany, Hungary, Japan, Kazakhstan, and other locations.  But the Foundation has also directly initiated church plants around the world by giving grants to: 

• Ukraine – Several churches from Ukraine to Vladivostok (including Armenia, Novorosiysk, Tatars, Uzbek’s and others) have been planted and nurtured and church planters have been trained.

• AWEMA – Arab World Evangelical Ministers Association have planted numerous churches in multiple Middle East countries.

• Cambodia – World Relief had planted about 400 house churches when the Foundation partnered with them in 2003. The count is over 1,000 now.

• Kacchhwa Ministries India - KTM counts thousands of house churches planted in its network, and thousands of church planters trained for KTM and UPMission.

• China Partnership - Several thousand Chinese pastors have been trained to plant churches. We will find out the number of church plants some day.

Redeemer City to City International Church Planter Training - Many new churches have been indirectly planted.

Through directed gifts they have been part of planting churches in major cities around the world including:

• Buenos Aires

• Athens

• Dubai

• Jakarta

• Prague

• Pretoria, South Africa

• Rome

• Rotterdam, and through them other Multi-national church plants in Europe

Second Presbyterian and the 2PC Foundation are a blessed part of the means that God is using to “Build His Church.”

Foundation Newsletter, August 2016

Timeless and Timely

By: Ron Sadlow

You can’t read the Bible without hearing the call to invest your life and resources in something that will outlast this life. Jesus said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20) and Paul and James talked about the crown that awaits those who persevere (II Timothy 4:8 and James 1:12). 

What are those things we are to invest in that have eternal significance? The Bible says there are only two things from this life that will outlast us:

The Word of God—“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

The lives of people—“These (those on Christ’s left) will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:46)

It is therefore good to ask “What did I invest in?” when we look back on our lives.

Paul gave what seems like an uneventful “epitaph” about King David’s life in his first missionary sermon.  In Acts 13 he said, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers." But it is really quite profound and poignant, for David invested in the timeless and the timely. “David served God”—that is, he understood God’s eternal purposes and that God’s glory was the most important service of his life. “In his own generation”—David did what was needed in his day and committed his resources to advance God’s Kingdom.

I am grateful that Second Presbyterian has a Foundation that not only blesses the work of advancing God’s Kingdom in my day, but will continue doing so indefinitely. Sarah and I are delighted to have planned to make that part of our investment.

College Bound

This month, 73 students who participated in the Neighborhood Christian Center’s College and Career Program (CAPS) are headed off to college. These students participated in CAPS’s College Scholarship Incentive Program.

The Foundation supports this effort through its Neighborhood Christian Center Scholarship Fund, which was established through the generous gift of donors who had the passion to see that these and other students receive financial support to assist in attaining this important step in their lives. Over three academic years, 167 students have been given this opportunity with support of $222,290 in college scholarships.

NCC provides the College Scholarship Incentive Program in order to meet their organizational goal to provide opportunities to connect under-resourced high school youth to college preparatory activities, college tours, peer mentoring, and more in order to promote increased high school graduation and college enrollment rates.

This program is offered to students in 10th-12th grade. In order to qualify for tuition points, which are then translated into monetary support, every student must attend an array of empowerment and educational programs. These funds are truly vital in not only incentivizing young people to participate in NCC’s programs in order to build strong, hard-working, productive, Christian leaders, but also to ensure that these students have every opportunity to attend college despite their financial circumstances.

In order to educate and empower young people in the underprivileged community of Memphis to break the cycle of generational poverty that includes truancy, high school drop outs, drinking and drug use, teenage pregnancy, violence, and arrests, NCC works to engage high school-aged students to participate in various programs and events that promote educational attainment and empower them to develop and reach their educational and life goals and to effect long-term change in the lives of the students.

This year, as part of the CAPS program, NCC piloted a new initiative in partnership with Mid-South Community College (MSCC) to provide the opportunity for high school students to gain college credit during the summer. Thirty-three 10th-12th grade students enrolled in CAPS attended college courses at MSCC during the summer. In addition to providing the tuition for each student, NCC supported them with their homework, helped them develop study skills, and mentored them throughout the process, all while they earned college credits that can be utilized towards traditional college degrees and/or technical certifications. The results from this initial summer include the fact that 87% of attendees earned between three and six college credits and with a grade point average of 3.25.

Allison & Sandy Willson Church Planting Fund

The purpose of this newly established fund is to provide financial support for church planting efforts at home and around the world that are strategic, missional, and Reformed in character.

It has been established out of gratitude for the faithful ministry of the Willsons to our church and reflects their passion for the particular ministry of church planting.

You may contribute now or discuss ways in which you can participate by contacting Vicki Simmons at (901) 507-7898 or by sending her an email. 

Foundation Newsletter, May 2016

Church and Foundation Express Appreciation to Allison and Sandy Willson

The Allison and Sandy Willson Church Planting Fund has been established out of gratitude to our Lord for the faithful ministry of the Willsons to Second Presbyterian Church from 1995 until 2017 and particularly honors Sandy for his leadership in the establishment of the Second Presbyterian Church Foundation.

Second Presbyterian Church has historically been a church planting church. From 1870 until 1988, the church undertook ten church plants. During Sandy’s tenure, six church plants were initiated. Church planting is among the more unique contributions that he brought to Second, giving her a deeper vision for the missional opportunities of church planting. The Foundation has established a fund that is reflective of his legacy. Therefore, the purpose of the Fund is to provide financial support to church planting efforts at home and around the world that are strategic, missional, and reformed in character.

The Foundation welcomes the receipt of funds from members of Second and the community at large for the purpose of providing support for the Willson Church Planting Fund, as the church and Foundation are interested in augmenting and strengthening opportunities for church planting.

PARTICIPATE

If you would like to make a contribution to the missional effort of church planting through the Willson Fund, simply direct your gift to the attention of Second Presbyterian Church Foundation: Allison and Sandy Willson Church Planting Fund. This can also be done online.

LEARN MORE

If you would like to learn more about the Fund or discuss ways in which you can participate, contact Vicki Simmons at (901) 507-7898 or vicki.simmons@2pc.org.

Foundation Dinner Highlights

On April 1st, 250 gathered to hear Sandy Willson speak at the Foundation dinner commemorating our 18th year. Sandy presented IMMOVABLE, based on I Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” He reflected on what the Foundation has achieved to date and encouraged the congregation to continue on this path.

He also gave insights on how the Foundation came into existence. The photograph above was taken following the dinner and is of some of the individuals that played a key role in establishing it, including Sandy Willson, Linda Rhea, John Adamson, and Monte Weaver. Since this was Sandy’s last Foundation event prior to his retirement, former Board Chairs Smoky Russell and Monte Weaver gave the invocation and introduction of Sandy, respectively.

Board Chair Rick Moore reported on Foundation activities in the last year in the areas of stewardship, administration, and investments. He also announced the establishment of the Allison and Sandy Willson Church Planting Fund. Brandon Morrison, Grants Committee Chair, highlighted the recent grants made in the areas of World Missions, Home Missions, and Christian Leadership Development, ending with the introduction of a video on the current fruit produced from the Music Internship Fund.

The meal was served by MERGE and our current Fellows class. MERGE is a group of students from 2PC and Leadership Empowerment Center who meet monthly to learn more about each other, the Gospel, and how the Lord is bringing different groups together while they are serving the city and each other.

Barton Kimbro, a former pastoral intern provided through the Foundation, participated by giving the benediction.

» Listen to Sandy's presentation »

Music Video Rocks Foundation Audience

Daniel Pollorena was in Mexico the night of the Foundation dinner, but his presence was felt through the inspiring video “From Mexico to Memphis: A Journey of Music,” filmed and produced by Robert Heard of the Communications Department. 

In the video, Daniel discusses the path that brought him to Second to be the 2015-16 music intern. The Music Ministry Internship Fund was established in 2011 to provide meaningful internships at the college level and to support the music ministry at Second. The Fund was originally established through a planned gift from a family in our congregation who had the idea of encouraging aspiring worship leaders. The concept fit well within one of the goals of the Foundation, which is to develop future Christian leaders. The Fund has since received additional gifts from other donors who have expressed intentionality in supporting such a fund.

Academic Year Interns serve in the adult choir and assist in leading rehearsals among other duties. The Summer Interns assist in serving the various summer music programs for children, such as VBS and summer arts camps, and participate in planning and directing the Patriotic Pops concert.

In just five years, these internships have become an important aspect of the Music Ministry at Second. At the same time, the internships have proved to be a vocational advantage for the interns.

There have been six interns since the inception of the program. Here is an update of where they are since serving as an intern.

Past Music Interns:

Hannah Good

• Received her BMEd (Bachelor of Music Education) from the University of Memphis

• Currently teaching Orff music at Snowden Elementary School in Memphis

Molly Johnson Pennington

• Received her BMEd and BMA (Bachelor of Musical Arts in organ) from the University of Memphis

• Currently is the organist for Riveroaks Presbyterian in Germantown, Tennessee and is teaching piano at the Second Conservatory

Kelsey Boel Westhauser

• Currently teaches music and theatre at Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Hampshire, Illinois

Sophie Blatt

• Currently a Junior at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, pursuing her degree in vocal performance

Madeline Carson

• Received her BMEd from Union University

• Currently the choir director at North Side High school in Jackson, Tennessee

Daniel Pollorena

• Pursuing a MA (Master of Arts) degree in piano performance at the University of Memphis in the fall and will continue to serve in the music programs at both Second and Esperanza

• Currently in Merida, Mexico where he is part of the worship/music leadership team

Foundation Newsletter: Inaugural Newsletter, February 2016

Welcome!

Welcome to the inaugural 2PC Foundation quarterly newsletter. If you are a 2PC member, you are part of the 2PC Foundation community. Thank you for taking the time to find out more about your Foundation.

Foundation Dinner Set for April 1

It’s free (no fooling) so make your reservation!

On Friday, April 1, the Foundation will hold its biannual dinner in the Fellowship Hall. Sandy Willson is the featured speaker. The Foundation came into existence under his leadership and as this will be his last Foundation event as senior pastor, we look forward to hearing a message from him based on I Corinthians 15:58.

The purpose of the complimentary dinner and program is to briefly report to the congregation the efforts of the Foundation over the last year in the areas of grants, investments, and stewardship and to present an inspiring message. Registration for the dinner is required by March 25. To learn more, contact Vicki Simmons.

Adventures in Family Giving Seminar Recap

On January 6, 72 people gathered to participate in a new one-time session devoted to helping individuals and members of families plan for the use of their charitable giving resources.

All ages were represented – from elementary age to high schoolers to millennials to grandparents – creating a wonderful breadth of contribution to the evening.

The highly interactive session was led by Chris Craft and focused on defining individual families’ values, discovering how the role of money is viewed in each family, and identifying the values and passions of each family.

Here’s what some of the attendees had to say:

My family had a great time and Chris Craft was a superb moderator. The envelope games showed us how each of us perceives money differently without being right or wrong compared to another's perception. It was also good to get clarification on the Foundation Seed Money program.

Money, budgeting, and tithing are sensitive subjects. I was nervous about going, but I also knew I wanted my kids to participate, so I made everyone clear their calendars for this event. And again, your team removed any tensions and made it educational, enlightening, and fun!

-Hunter Ivy, Father of 2

The seminar gave me insight into how I could better give to the Lord. I learned that giving doesn’t depend on the dollar amount but the heart’s willingness to give. Christ gave his life for me. Why do I find it hard to minimally give 10% back to Him?

-Robert Dickinson, Age 12

This seminar taught me how to balance saving and spending money. For me, these skills will become very important in the future.

-McRae Dickinson, Age 12

The seminar created a wonderful opportunity to begin or continue a dialogue as a family about stewarding and family giving. As we steward our children we need to share with them other opportunities we as believers have to steward. I would recommend this seminar to people of all ages.

-Deborah Coleman, Mother of 2

If you have a group of individuals or families that would like to have this seminar presented to them, please contact Vicki Simmons at (901) 507-7898.

Charitable Gift Annuities: Walk Securely with a Trusted Partner

GIVE a resource for the Foundation’s work and RECEIVE 4.2% or more on your gift as long as you or your spouse lives.

The Foundation is able to offer Charitable Gift Annuities for those 65 and older. As a result, many of you have an opportunity to make a charitable gift that provides an income to you and at the same time supports the ministries of the Second Presbyterian Church Foundation. Charitable Gift Annuities are an increasingly popular way to make meaningful charitable gifts, while allowing you, the donor, to enjoy income and tax benefits that can help preserve or even enhance your current and future financial well-being. 

Information on CGAs can also be found in a brochure, available on the Foundation website.

Questions covered include:

• What is a Charitable Gift Annuity?
• How does a CGA help me?
• How secure are my fixed payments?
• Who might benefit from a CGA?
• How is my gift used and do I have a choice?

Make plans now to find out how to both GIVE and RECEIVE through a Charitable Gift Annuity.

The Importance of Proactive Planning

At this year’s Foundation Dinner our speaker, Chuck Jacob, gave some thought-provoking insights on the reasons why we as Christians should make noble plans. As I listened to the presentation, I thought about 2 Kings 20:1, “Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.”

We have all prayed the childhood prayer, “And if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” However, only rarely do we contemplate during evening prayer what preparations we have made with respect to our final wishes and material possessions, should we actually die before we wake. Are we going to our eternal home leaving our earthly homes in a state of chaos or of order? The answer to this inquiry is a significant one. 

Hezekiah gets a clear wake-up call from the Lord when he is told “Get your house in order.” This is a command that is particularly meaningful to me. My husband, Skip, died at age 40 after only nine years of marriage. At 37 years old, I was a widow and mother of two very young boys. I can testify to the importance of “putting your house in order.” 

Based on my life experiences, I encourage everyone to initiate or review his or her estate plans. Once you have taken the steps to get your house in order, it is also important to maintain that order over the course of your life. For example, after Skip’s death, new plans were needed. I had a new will prepared and purchased a new life insurance policy. 

While you are living, it is very important to organize and communicate what actions are to occur upon your death. Who should be called? Where are your important documents kept? Where is the list of monthly and annual bills due and payable? What is the name of your lawyer and accountant? Did you plan your funeral? Did you purchase a burial plot and if so, where? 

You may be thinking, “I know, I know, it’s on my to-do list” or asking “How do I begin this process or update my existing, but outdated plans?” You can begin by calling the Foundation at Second, and they can point you in the right direction. Just last fall, the Foundation invited a local attorney to come and tell us in clear simple terms what steps to take. The presentation was in terms we all understood. We talked about ownership of property, asset protection for underage children, life insurance, and charitable giving. If you missed it or need a refresher, the presentation is available at 2pcfoundation.org/presentation.

Every participant left the room more knowledgeable about what issues we needed to think about and what legal, accounting, and insurance actions needed to be taken, implemented, or reviewed. We learned that the time expended and costs incurred to prepare for death are very reasonable. We also all agreed that the time and costs associated with a decedent’s estate can become very unreasonable in the event no plans are made prior to death.

Each year, I have found it helpful to review a summary of all my estate plans at an annual meeting with family. My lawyer and accountant/financial representative are available to review my estate plans to see if changes or additions are needed based on changes in law, family, and interests in property and possessions. Consider this action whether you are single or married, young, or old. 

Remember, planning and the communication of your plan are the best gifts you can give to your survivors.

Sincerely,
Libby Dickinson