Shepherds of the Church of God
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained by his own blood. – Acts 20:28
At the end of 2022, we have a renewed sense of gratitude for the shepherds of the church who have gone before us and ensured that God’s hope and healing have been made known from generation to generation. Their faithfulness, protection, love, and sacrifice have given us glimpses of God’s care for us. In response, we are called take up the “crook” as shepherds of the church in our day. View the full 2022 stewardship letter.
You may also make an online pledge of giving for 2023. Responses are viewed only by the financial secretaries.
Donating via your IRA
If you are required to take a minimum annual distribution from your IRA, you may be able to avoid tax payments by donating them directly to a qualified non-profit, including this church. Read more about how this works, and get the latest for 2022 in this Wall Street Journal article. (Note: donations must be made in 2022 to qualify for the tax reduction.)
Here are some highlights from the article,“You still have a chance to save on 2022 Taxes” by Laura Saunders which appeared on pages B1 and B2 of the Wall Street Journal edition dated Saturday/Sunday November 26 – 27, 2022. (It is also linked here for those with a subscription).
“…tax filers age 70½ and older can donate traditional IRA assets. Each IRA owner can transfer up to $100,000 directly to one or more charities and have the donation count toward their required minimum payout, if any. There’s no deduction for these gifts, known as qualified charitable distributions, but the withdrawals don’t count as taxable income either.”
The following is a quote from “How to be smart about RMD’s” by Glenn Ruffenach, which appeared on pages R1 and R2 of the Wall Street Journal edition dated Monday, November 28, 2022: (Full article here for those with a subscription).
“If you donate money regularly to charities…[one strategy]…. is a qualified charitable distribution. A QCD—available to those age 70½ and older—is a direct transfer of funds to an eligible nonprofit from an IRA. (The money doesn’t pass through your hands; your IRA custodian handles the transaction.) The good news: You aren’t taxed on the withdrawal, and the withdrawal could count toward satisfying some, or possibly all, of your RMD for the year.”