God created male and female
in His image. Genesis 1:27

James and Darlene Ford celebrated their fifth anniversary with a romantic, candlelight dinner. Life had never been better. Marriage had its rough spots, but neither could imagine life without the other. They thanked God for giving them their new life together. A few days later, over a not-so-romantic frozen pizza, James and Darlene confronted the practical matters of matrimony: career planning, taxes and retirement savings.

“Neither of us have company retirement plans, but we’re both making enough money to max out our IRA contributions,” explains James. “Now I’m starting to earn bonuses. After we add to our house fund, we need a strategy to preserve as much of those bonuses as possible for retirement.”

 Darlene was surprised to find a solution while surfing the net — on the Seventh-day Adventists Planned Giving and Trust Services Web site (www.willplan.org)®. Using a deferred charitable gift annuity, the Fords could donate James’ bonus to the church today, receive a valuable income tax deduction right away and guaranteed income later on. The couple arranged to meet with a Planned Giving and Trust Services Representative a few days later. Darlene is pleased with the results:

“By connecting with Planned Giving and Trust Services, we learned how critical it is to have an estate plan to protect each other — and we found out we could meet our tax and retirement objectives, while building God’s kingdom.”

As a bridegroom rejoices, so too does
God rejoice. Isaiah 62:5

The rice has been swept from the church steps, and the rented tuxedos returned. The relatives are all gone, and thank you notes written and mailed. Now real life as a couple begins, and
it’s not all romance!

Planning as a team takes practice. Sometimes even the small decisions — who makes breakfast? who does the dishes? — can be troublesome. And the big decisions — can we afford a house and a mortgage? do we need life insurance? — can put new marriages under uncomfortable stress.

 When God said, “the two shall become one,” this is what He meant: Finding your way through the cycle of life in the company of a loving, lifetime partner — and in harmony with your faith.

Planned Giving and Trust Services can help. A unique mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we help you unravel the complicated world of finance and establish a plan that can sustain you, your loved ones and your church for years to come. And once you establish a Planned Giving and Trust Services relationship, we’re there whenever you need us, usually at no cost to you or your estate. To find out more, call Planned Giving and Trust Services today.

Responsibilities for the Here and Now — and the Hereafter
“The Lord would have His followers dispense their means while they can do it themselves,” counseled Ellen White, nearly 150 years ago. In the matter of wills, she said, it is our responsibility to exercise our intellect and “secure to the Lord His own.”

So began the Seventh-day Adventist tradition of redistributing resources through wills, trusts, annuities and other special gifts that benefit individuals, families and God’s work. A highly professional service at every level of the church, Planned Giving and Trust Services expresses this tradition through sound administrative and investment policies, accountability and high ethical standards. All personnel must be certified and complete annual continuing education requirements. Planned Giving and Trust Services organizations are audited regularly and meet rigorous accreditation and fiduciary standards.

Designed to meet changing needs throughout the life cycle, Planned Giving and Trust Services not only provides useful financial, estate and gifts planning information, but also discusses how to arrange care for children or elderly parents and name individuals to make decisions for them if they are unable to do so. By placing these services in the context of Seventh-day Adventist beliefs — and making them available to all, regardless of income — Planned Giving and Trust Services provides a unique opportunity for our church family to achieve their personal, financial and spiritual objectives.

To find out more, call Planned Giving and Trust Services today at 1 877 WILLPLAN® (1 877 945-5752) or complete the “Contact Us“ form.