“As grace increases to benefit more and more people, it will cause gratitude to increase, which results in God’s glory.”
2 Corinthians 4:15
Stories from our Members...
Vail Tolbert
Kenneth & Suzanne Wolverton
Mary Martha Stinnett
Grace Avenue is a multiple site church with campuses currently in Frisco and Grace Chapel on the 380 Corridor. The Permanent Endowment was created in 2017 as Grace Avenue looked to the future not only for its’ current congregations, but for those individuals and families we haven’t yet met or embraced. The Endowment Fund serves all of Grace Avenue sites including those that may be established in the future, and has been built by the gifts of faithful church members to strengthen the work of the church. These donors recognized the opportunity to give a gift that keeps giving, because investment returns magnify the impact of original gifts. Just as annual stewardship giving is a chance to return to God a portion of our annual income, contributions to the endowment provide a means to share the accumulated gifts which God has given us as durable support for Grace Avenue’s ministry.
The mission of the Permanent Endowment is to provide members and friends the opportunity to make charitable gifts to Grace Avenue that will become a part of the financial support and a living memorial, not associated with the operating/capital budget process of the church. Gifts to the church may be received and used to carry out the Christian ministry and mission of Grace Avenue United Methodist Church.
Income distributions to the Permanent Endowment will be made through a grant process, managed by the Endowment Committee, and confirmed by church leadership. A contribution to the fund is a gift that keeps on giving. You might call it a “perpetual pledge.” Even beyond your lifetime, earnings from your Legacy Gifts are spent to complement and support the vision of Grace Avenue and its mission to “eradicate homelessness in whatever forms it presents itself. ” The Endowment Fund will not be used for ongoing expenses of the church, but for special non-budgeted opportunities for mission work in the following areas:
General Fund
Supports all the causes that make up the vision of Grace Avenue.
Spiritual Home Fund
Supports the needs of our church’s ministries as we continue to open our church to create a community of faith.
Emotional Home Fund
Focuses on easing the suffering of people experiencing emotional and/or psychological needs.
Physical Home Fund
Supports not only physical structures but also supplies and donations to individuals and groups that assist in natural disasters and untimely accidents, as well as rebuilding structures and providing homes.
As it grows, the Permanent Endowment Fund of Grace Avenue will provide our congregation with a perpetual source of income in support of the church’s ministries and missions.
As we each continue our own personal spiritual journey, the Permanent Endowment Fund provides a way that we can leave a permanent legacy ... a Legacy Gift that will support Grace Avenue’s mission for future generations.
Endowment FAQ
ENDOWMENT FUND COMMITTEE
The Endowment Fund is managed by a ten person committee hand selected by church leadership. Our endowment fund investments are managed by the Texas Methodist Foundation.
Guided by Scripture, and the written by-laws and policies of the Endowment Fund, the committee seeks to make investments that will protect the principal of the fund and produce income at a reasonable rate. Each year the Endowment Fund Committee will review the return on the past year’s investments, decide how much to keep for continued growth of the fund, and how much would be available for projects to support the vision of Grace Avenue and its mission to “eradicate homelessness in whatever forms it presents itself.” The Endowment Fund will not be used for ongoing expenses of the congregation, but for special non-budgeted opportunities for mission work in our four specified funds.
REQUESTING AN ENDOWMENT FUND GRANT
Members of the congregation are invited to submit requests for funding from the Endowment Fund. All requests for the calendar year must be submitted via the grant request form to finance@graceavenue.org by October 15 of the year prior. Requests should be completed by the individual or church ministry group seeking project funds. The Endowment Fund Committee will review all requests and award grants based upon the Endowment Fund Committee by laws.