Author: SPLC Editor

SPLC has two online giving programs to serve those who embrace the idea of “first fruit giving,” or if you just enjoy the convenience. Both of these programs are administered by VANCO, a well-established and trusted online donation platform using a secure network.

The Give Plus program is for one-time giving. Again, this is useful if you’re traveling, or if you’re finalizing your end-of-year giving total and would like to make a catch-up donation. (Note: VANCO cannot process a transaction that occurs on December 31st before the end of the year. To be sure you receive a tax credit for the current year, your transaction should occur at least two business days prior to the 31st.)

When you use Give Plus, you can schedule a one time or monthly donation to a particular fund, such as the General Fund for your regular tithe. The General Fund supports the church and its various expenses and ministries. You can also schedule a one-time or monthly donation to a specific fund, such as the Moretz Scholarship, SOIICF Food Pantry, Giving Garden, etc. If you don’t see your desired fund listed on the Give Plus page, contact the Financial Secretary to discuss adding it. Otherwise, you can use an envelope and indicate the program you wish to give you on the envelope as well as the memo line of your check.

The Simply Giving program offers the convenience of meeting your Good Faith Intention of Support via scheduled electronic fund transfers. You can schedule your donations in advance, which makes it possible to continue supporting the church when you’re traveling; not just for the running of the church, but for our many charitable and fellowship projects. The church benefits by increased financial stability through predictable contributions. There is improved confidence in meeting financial obligations and goals.

How does Simply Giving work? Once you request an account, it’s set up and a debit is taken from your checking account on either the 1st or the 15th of each month according to your designation. If you need to make a change to your account, you can contact the Financial Secretary at any time and your request will be processed as quickly as possible.

Even if you use Simply Giving, you can use giving envelopes for special offerings or floral requests. You can also use blank or guest envelopes in the pew; we just ask that you write your name and assigned envelope number if you happen to know it on the envelope so we can record your gift properly.

How do I sign up? Complete the Simply Giving authorization form and put it in the Financial Drop Box next to the Finance office in the Fellowship Hall, or email it to the Finance Secretary. They will enter your information and the electronic giving will begin on the date you specified on the authorization form. If for some reason the deduction is not made, you will be notified and the reason explained.

If you have any further questions about the Simply Giving program, please email the Finance Secretary.

We are a giving church, but one of the most common questions we hear in the Finance office is about the Mission Endowment Fund. To be clear, an endowment fund is restricted by state law and managed accordingly. Funds given to the endowment fund form the principle balance (the corpus) and are restricted. These funds cannot be used for any purpose unless the church goes into a bankruptcy.

People are often dismayed when they hear this, but an endowment of any kind, whether it is held by a trust, a non-profit, or a corporation must follow the same rules. The understanding of how funds are used when the endowment is created must be respected and followed. To make a change to this understanding requires an application to the State Attorney General.

So what’s the purpose of our Mission Endowment Fund? The intent is for the Mission Endowment Committee to distribute annual grants of the earnings (interest, dividends and market value changes) shown on the monthly Balance Sheet as ‘Endowment Fund Earnings.’ These grants are subject to the guidelines defined by the Constitution of Saint Peter Lutheran Evangelical Church (section C13.14.01).

There is also a statement in the constitution in section C5.05.01 that states, “The Mission Endowment Fund is established to ‘receive unrestricted gifts’ to enhance the mission outreach of Saint Peter.” This means the gifts are unrestricted by the donor. The same phrase and logic applies to our Memorial Fund.  In the case of the both funds, donations cannot be designated to be used for any specific purpose.

Most endowment funds are by definition ‘permanently restricted’, but many are set up by one-time contributions or estate bequests, so the subject of ongoing donations is not applicable.  Permanently restriction means that the corpus, or in our case, the donations to the Endowment Fund, cannot be distributed as grants. Only the earnings can be distributed. The sole purpose of the corpus is to generate the earnings.

The same phrase and logic applies to the Memorial Fund.  Donations to the Memorial Fund are not permanently restricted and can be used at the discretion of the Memorial Fund Committee, subject to Council approval.

It’s important for you, the giver, to be aware of how your gifts are used. There are many different funds to give to at Saint Peter. In particular, the fund to pay tuition for our “adopted” kids in Haiti has run dry, even as the monthly tuition has gone up.

Our Moritz Scholarship Fund is also running low, and this is a fund that helps kids and adults who want to further their education. Grants are generally $1,000 per applicant. To review all of the giving options, navigate to the Give Plus page. Gifts to the General Fund are directed to support all of the church needs and activities.

Beginning on September 20th and continuing through Lent, come and join us for Wonderful Wednesday nights at 5:15 p.m.

What’s Wonderful Wednesday? These are services featuring contemporary music led by Keys of the Kingdom, followed by a delicious supper at 5:45 p.m. If you like, you can just come for the soup!

Watch for sign-up sheets in the narthex, or complete a contact form and let us know you’re coming.

At the September Men of Faith breakfast, Professor Gray Bowman spoke about Seneca Guns, the loud booms that can be heard off our shores. While much remains unknown about this phenomenon, he provided evidence that the booms do not come from under the water and therefore are not related to tectonic shifts.

It was a fascinating talk and of course Dr. Bowman always offers up some lighthearted fun with his lectures. We had a great time fellowshipping together as well as planning future endeavors. Next up: October’s Big Toy Day!

Wondering about what it is to be Lutheran? Join Lutheranism 101, a free course hosted by Saint Peter’s Christian Education, Evangelism, and Fellowship committees in coordination with the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).

This is an excellent series for new members, and anyone who is interested in learning more about our faith. Some of what will be covered is Luther’s Small Catechism, which can be found in our church hymnals.

Join us beginning September 19th in the Fellowship Hall. We’ll arrive at 6:30 to set up and prepare for the Zoom class, which takes place from 7:00 p.m. through 8:30 p.m. The classes cover the following topics:

• September 19: Adult Catechism, with Bishop Emeritus Julian Gordy
• October 3: “Who is Luther?” with Rev. Dr. Justin Nickel, Lenoir Rhyne – Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS)
• October 17: Lutheranism in North America, with Rev. Dr. Susan McArver, Lenoir Rhyne – LTSS

If you’d like to prepare, it wouldn’t hurt to check out Luther’s Small Catechism beforehand. We’ll join the Zoom call as a group, and discuss our questions afterwards. Pastor Wade Brinkopf will be our Saint Peter facilitator.

To join the group, please register in the narthex, or contact Pastor Wade if you have questions. If you are unable to join us in person, you can register for the workshop online.

What better way to kick off our new children’s tutoring program than with a fall Foam Party! On Sunday October 8th from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m., we’re welcoming back our kids from Vacation Bible School as well as other kids in the area who are interested in taking advantage of free tutoring services.

Tutoring sessions begin on October 17th and continue every Tuesday evening from 4:30-6:30 p.m. with a separate space available where parents can enjoy snacks and conversation while the kids are busy learning.

Come join us at the party! You can bet we’ll be out there having a blast! If you’ve got questions, just contact us and mention “Foam Party” or “Tutoring” in the Subject line.

Scan the QR code below to register.

Looking at Psalm 119:33-40, you can’t help but notice that the words are beautiful and poetic. They are faith-filled and faith-giving. They are law and gospel. I invite you to go to your Bible and look up Psalm 119 and see what you find.

My study Bible says Psalm 119 is an “elaborate acrostic wisdom psalm.” What does “acrostic” mean? Google Dictionary says it is, “a poem, word puzzle, or other composition in which certain letters in each line for a word or words.”

Within this Psalm there are 22 eight-line stanzas which start with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each following eight stanzas take the next letter, etc. Hence, Psalm 119 is an elaborate acrostic wisdom psalm formed upon the Hebrew alphabet.

This is a psalm about God’s law. It is a psalm about finding, teaching, and following God’s law in in doing so finding life.

We are people of God’s law, because we are people of law and gospel. In our Triune God we find our rest, and our salvation. We find life. Go to your Bible and read your version of Psalm 119 and hear the call of our Lord.

May our work for the Lord be strong! -Pastor Wade

Beginning October 4th, join us at Saint Peter Lutheran Church on the first Wednesday of each month from 1:00 TO 3:00 p.m. for a free socializing event. We’ll put out a purple flag so you can find us! Read on to learn more:

What? Memory Café is a community social gathering for people living with dementia and their care partners. Additional facts:

• The first Memory Café was started in Holland in 1997.
• This great idea has since been welcomed into the United States, with the first US Memory Café in 2008, in Minnesota.
• Today they exist in every state, and each one is tailored to the needs and interests of the local community.
• There are more than 1,500 Memory Cafés around the world in six countries.

Why? To provide a stigma-free social gathering for people living with dementia and their care partners. The focus of these events is to have a relaxed, informal, fun social interaction rather than focusing on the disease.

Who? Memory Café is open to anyone in the community living with dementia with any level of symptoms and their care partners.

What to Expect: A café atmosphere with light refreshments, music, and monthly themed activities.

What it is NOT:

• An adult day program or drop-off respite care.
• An educational program or caregiver workshop.
• A marketing opportunity for services or agencies.

Registration is required and space is limited. Please click here to register each person separately. If you have any questions, email our Memory Café Coordinator.

Download this information as a flyer to share or post on your refrigerator!

Sponsors include: Lower Cape Fear LifeCare.

It’s always a challenge to serve more than 150 meals on the second Saturday of each month, so the Men of Faith (MOF) stepped up in July and volunteered to keep our commitment to make and deliver Meals on Wheels (MOW) on fifth Saturdays.

The last day of this month, September 30th, is another 5th Saturday so we need all hands on deck. If you can join us, please reach out to one of the Men of Faith leaders, or you can contact us and type “MOF MOW” in the subject line and we’ll get your message to the right person.

For a limited time, you can get a Men of Faith T-shirt for only $13. The front says, “God’s Work, Our Hands.” If you’d like one please get in touch with Pastor Wade at the church. Or send him a contact form and let him know to set one aside for you.