Ways to Give
Generosity Statement
We are called to joyfully and gratefully share our blessings to transform lives for God’s glory. We believe that the discipline of generosity helps us to live out our calling to invest in our church’s ministry, to love others, and impact the world. God calls us to be faithful stewards and share the many blessings He has provided for us.
Core Values
We are thankful for the many blessings God has given to us, and it is with great joy that we share these blessings. We seek to not only experience God’s blessings but to participate in growing His kingdom. [2 Corinthians 9:7, 11]
We know that the source of everything we have is God, and we are meant to be faithful stewards of the abundance we have been given. Our goal is to live a life that reflects His gifts with our financial resources as well as our time, talents, prayers, and witness. [1 Chronicles 29:12]
We seek to be Spirit-led, open-hearted, and open-handed as we work to live generous lives. Growing in generosity is a pathway along our spiritual/faith journey. When we follow this path, our heart is in God’s kingdom, not in this world’s. [Matthew 6:21, 24]
We know that God can perform miracles and, just like the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, our generosity can multiply to impact those here at home and throughout the world. By using our resources to touch lives outside our church, we make a difference in the way others see and feel the impact of His love firsthand. [Acts 4:34-35]
Right now, your gifts are hard at work helping Germantown United Methodist Church be the hands and feet of Christ in our community, our region, and the world. We thank you for your continued generous financial support. In 2 Corinthians 9:11-12, we read that we are enriched not simply or even primarily for our own enjoyment, but so that we can be generous on every occasion…supplying the needs of the Lord’s people. Let’s make plans to ensure that we are making the work of the Lord possible in every way. One important way is through your financial gifts. Below, you will see different methods of giving to the church. GUMC thanks you for your gifts.
Give Online Here
Text GIVE to 901-910-1220
Venmo us @GermantownUMC
Fewer than half of all American adults have a will. If we are serious about and committed to our church while we are alive, then providing for our church when we are gone makes sense, too. A bequest of property, financial instruments, savings, accounts, and other resources may be of benefit to your estate, allowing more of what you have acquired in this life to continue the work of the church and leave more for your loved ones as well.
Whatever decisions you make, please make them in consultation with a qualified planner. Also, please remember that for a gift to be counted as a charitable contribution in 2024, for tax purposes, it must either be received by the church by December 31, postmarked by December 31, or transacted online by December 31. Making these decisions and putting them into place early will help ensure that your contribution is credited to you. Your financial decisions can help to advance the kingdom of God. Together, and through God’s abundant grace, we are creating Disciples and changing lives. Thank you for all you do.
You may wish to look at changes created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Giving through qualified IRAs is a strategy that is now even more important than before for many of our members who are at least 70 ½ years old at the time of this writing.
Online giving can be done in either or both of two ways:
- Direct Debit Giving is used to automatically transfer funds from your checking or savings account to the church’s bank account.
- Credit and Debit card Giving lets you make offerings using a credit or debit card or another bank account. Text GIVE to 901-910-1220 and you can make an easy payment via your phone at any time.
Getting started is quick and easy! Just follow these 3 easy steps:
- Visit the church website or app and click the donate now button at the top of the page (germantownumc.org)
- Choose the Fund you would like to support
- Fill out the contact information and debit/credit card information
Because we believe in being good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, we encourage you to thoughtfully consider the advantages of giving appreciated stock to Germantown United Methodist Church.
By giving appreciated stock to a charitable organization such as GUMC, you avoid paying capital gains tax on the increased value of the stock. Because you are giving to a charitable organization, your gift is deductible for the market value of the stock at the time it was given.
Please ask your financial advisor if this is a viable option for you.
Appreciated Securities are a Win-Win:
- GUMC receives a gift as good as cash that will be used for God’s work.
- Donors receive a charitable tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the stock and avoid capital gains tax on the appreciated value of the stock.
- A reminder: You can accelerate your tax deduction and, at the same time, significantly help GUMC by giving stock before year-end in payment of your pledge for next year. The church will earn interest on the deposited funds and will be able to use your contribution for next year’s operating expenses. You, of course, get to take credit for the gift against any tax liability for this year.
Steps to Give Securities to GUMC
1. Notify Sharon Panis at 901-758-6530 or [email protected].
2. Notify your broker to transfer a specified number of shares of stock to Germantown United Methodist’s account at Merrill Lynch. To do this, please complete and send the Stock Gift Form – for Broker (pdf) to your broker.
Please note that Germantown United Methodist policy is to immediately sell all stock gifts and deposit the proceeds from the sale into the church bank account.
