Giving is an act of Love, and an act of Faith in a Generous God

Augustana Lutheran has established an account with Tithe.ly providing members and visitors alike an easy way to contribute online.

There are two ways to give… from the Tithe.ly Mobile App or from our church website using the “Give“ buttons found throughout the website.

Play the video below to learn how to create an account and give on your mobile devise.

Special Notes about using Tithe.ly:

• When setting up your account:
  • Be sure to select Augustana Lutheran Church of Andover, IL
  • You can choose to donate through a credit card or a bank account.

• All sensitive financial information is stored with the highest bank level security.

• When making a gift  you will have the choice of directing your donation to one of the following:
  • Offering (default)
  • World Hunger
  • Food Pantry
  • Church Modernization Projects
  • Memorial
  • Scholarship
  • Good Samaritan Fund
  • Endowment Fund

• If your wish to send your gift to: another category; split your gift across multiple categories; or have special instructions as to how your gift should be used, select “Offering” and email your wishes to the Financial Secretary email: aug.luth.andover@gmail.com.

• You will receive an email confirmation after each gift.

• You will be able to view a complete history of your online gifts through your Thite.ly account

• Each online gift has a handling charge assessed:
  • For American Express Cards: 3.5% +$0.30
  • For most other Credit Cards:       2.9% of gift + $0.30
  • For Bank Accounts:                        1.0% of gift + $0.30

• Tithe.ly automatically computes the handling cost. You have the option to “Cover Cost”
  • • Checking the “Cover Cost” allows for you to cover the handling fees, so that the church receives the full intended offering.
    • E.g. Let’s say you donate $100.00 with your bank account. The handling fee would be $1.30. If you choose to cover cost it will cost $101.30 to give the church a $100.00 offering. If you do not choose cover cost, the church would receive $98.70.

   

The “Give” button below (found throughout our website) allows you to do the exact same functions as described in the video without a special mobile app. Give it a click!

Give

Please note: more information will be coming out in the Spire which will be mailed out either Friday or Monday.

Quick Notes on Tonight’s Meeting:

Augustana Lutheran Church is trying out a new liturgy for worship during January, 2020. This liturgy was written by Pastor Reed Pedersen and will be accompanied with guitar by Nick Swanson. Below is the “Kyrie”, “This is the Feast”, “Gospel Acclamation”, “Holy, Holy, Holy”, and “Benediction”. To help with worship participation, it would be great if you could listen to these before worship. Enjoy!

Augustana Lutheran Church’s stewardship drive is taking place for the month of November. We begin every service with a temple talk. This is an opportunity for someone to witness to their faith in front of the congregation. Our four volunteers were Gordon Rehn, Nicholas Swanson, Sally Rehn, and Ruth Swanson.

Youth Worship Assistants Schedules

Acolyte – SCS Offering – Cherub/Junior Choir – 

Note to Acolyte Parents: please have your student at church no later than 15 minutes before the service. If you cannot make your scheduled date, please trade with someone else and notify the church office ASAP of the change either by phone or email. The following is a list of parents/students to contact for trading assignments:

Here are two highlights from our 150 year anniversary of worshiping in the the “Cathedral on the Prairie”. The first is a choir singing “Children of the Heavenly Father” in Swedish at the Jenny Lind Chapel. The second highlight is Pastor Reed’s sermon on the same text preached during the dedication service on Nov 15, 1868 by Jonas Swensson.

Here is the affirmation of baptism service held for Joseph Foley, Sophie Selander, and Sydney Poppy. In this rite the three of these confirmands affirmed their faith.

ALC Good Samaritan Fund Online Request Form

Purpose

The purpose of the ALC Good Samaritan Fund is to provide financial assistance to persons who are confronted with short-term emergency situations within a specific local region as defined by highways: US 150, IL 81, IL 82, and IL 17. These boundaries are not rigid and serve as a basic area of focus only.

Eligibility

Any individual or family in the Andover area and nearby communities (as defined above) may receive assistance. This includes retired and disabled community members, spouses, surviving spouses, and their dependent, orphaned, or incapacitated children. Recommendations for assistance will primarily come from local food pantries, village boards, funeral homes, township supervisors, school districts, or any other organization the ALC Endowment Committee invites to participate in the ALC Good Samaritan Fund program. Requests meeting the Assistance Guidelines (see below) will be processed on a first-come, first serve basis as long as monies are available from the fund.

To a lesser extent, emergency aid may be given to stranded motorists passing through Andover at the discretion of Augustana Lutheran Church Staff. The aid in this case will be limited to the distribution of Casey Gift Cards…enough to get the motorist on to their next destination.

Assistance Guidelines

1. The ALC Good Samaritan Fund provides assistance for short-term, emergency situations. Monthly stipends to assist with living expenses are not available from this Fund.
2. No assistance with non-medical debt retirement, past due current income tax encumbrance, legal/attorney fees, or fines will be provided through the ALC Good Samaritan Fund.
3. Distributed funds are considered a one-time gift only to the assisted individual… no ongoing support are to be made nor implied. Additional gifts to individuals will be considered on a case by case basis, but only after a period of at least two years between gifts has elapsed.
4. The ALC Good Samaritan Fund is intended for those individuals within the geographical area defined above by highways: US 150, IL 81, IL 82, and IL 17. These boundaries are not rigid, but serve as a general guideline for the focus area of support.
5. Initial implementation of the ALC Good Samaritan Fund begins once the fund reaches a minimum level of $10,000.
6. Fund distributions will continue until the Fund drops below $2000. At that point, Fund operation will be suspended until the Fund attains the original startup value of $10,000.
7. Distribution Limits: in order to maximize the number of individuals helped, the anticipated level is $500 – $1000 or less. Needs beyond $1000 will need to be considered on a case by case basis.
8. Assistance Request Process consists of submitting a three section online form by the organization recommending individuals needing assistance. The three sections are:
   1. Section 1: Contact information of assisted individuals; $ amount requested; and description of the specific need for assistance
   2. Section 2: Contact information of the organization submitting the request
   3. Section 3: Contact information as to where the distribution will be sent. Typically this would be the debtor of the assisted individual
9. Online Request Form is found at: https://goo.gl/forms/uGFJv45n9M6cjsWD3

The ALC Good Samaritan Fund income sources:

1. Annual “Community Outreach” distributions from  Augustana Lutheran Church’s (ALC) Endowment Trust
2. Gifts and bequests from individuals
3. Contributions from organizations

All assistance payments and emergency grants shall be made only to the extent that monies are available from this fund.

The ALC Good Samaritan Fund is administered by the ALC Endowment Committee and is empowered by the Church Congregational Council. The Endowment Committee reviews requests for assistance and authorizes payments in accordance with the guidelines listed below. The granting assistance in any form is solely at the discretion of the Endowment Committee, and reserves the right to modify these guidelines.

Administration

Assistance will be in the form of a lump sum payment directly to the individual’s debtor, in most cases. Records will be maintained to track when, who and the amount of assistance provided. Every effort will be made to distribute assistance funds within one week of a submitted online request form, provided all the Assistance Guidelines are met. Additional time will be needed if exceptions to the guidelines need to be considered. The organization submitting the request will be notified by email as to the disposition of the request.

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Please click the button below to help contribute to this wonderful ministry:

Give


Click Here for Give Help

How Does One Contribute to the Endowment Fund?

Contributions may be made in cash, real estate, securities, life insurance, trust fund, or bequest.

Contributions to the Augustana Lutheran Church Endowment Fund are tax deductible within provisions of federal tax law.

Cash Contributions

Cash contributions, both large and small, to the Endowment Fund can be given at any time for a variety of reasons.

Charitable Life Insurance

Making the Augustana  Endowment Fund of Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church the beneficiary of a life insurance policy enables you to finance a sizeable gift by the payment of a relatively small annual premium. Both new and existing policies may be used for such gifts. In all cases the Endowment Fund must be named as the irrevocable beneficiary. In that way the annual premiums you pay are tax deductible and the proceeds payable to the Endowment Fund upon your death are exempt from estate and inheritance taxes.

Wills and Bequests

A bequest is a gift made through a will. Those interested should have an attorney draw up a will to assure that property will be distributed in accordance with the donor’s wishes after death. Every person has the privilege of deciding who is to receive his or her estate after death, no matter how small or large the estate.

Every Christian also has a stewardship responsibility of providing for the continuing work of Christ through a portion of assets accumulated through one’s lifetime. These responsibilities may be fulfilled by including a provision for the church in a valid will.

A gift to the Augustana Lutheran Church Endowment Fund made by a will provision could be in the form of cash, securities or real estate and such gifts are free of federal estate taxes and inheritance taxes. Your attorney is best qualified to advise you on these matters.

The following suggestions are offered here for discussion with your attorney.

1. General Bequest: “I give and bequeath to Augustana  Endowment Fund of Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church, Andover, Illinois, the sum of $xxx (and/or the securities or other property described herein, namely, ____________________).”

2. Residuary Bequest: “All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate both real and personal, I give, devise, and bequeath to Augustana Endowment Fund of Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church, Andover, Illinois.”

3. Contingent Bequest: “In the event __(name of person)__ does not survive me, I give, devise, and bequeath such property to Augustana Endowment Fund of Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church, Andover, Illinois.”

Online Gifts

Select “Give” below to send an online Gift:

Give


Click Here for Give Help

These guidelines were borrowed from the Trinity Endowment Fund of Trinity Lutheran Church in Moline, Illinois.

This page is currently not fully developed. Please contact the church by phone (309) 521-8127. Or Email Pastor Reed pastor@andoverlutheran.org