New Giving Programs to Make the Most of Your Donations!
The South East Michigan Synod, the North West Lower Michigan Synod, a former staff family, and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans have come up with some wonderful new programs to help raise funds for our Camping and Retreat Ministry. To learn more, click on one of the programs below:
New Donor Matching Grants
Automated Giving Through Your Bank Account or
Simply Giving® Program Through Thrivent 
The GivingPlus® Program through Thrivent
Give the gift of Camp
Gift of Stocks or Securities
Planned Givings, Wills, Bequests, and Estates
Charitable Gift Annuities
Examples of How Your Gift Can Impact Our Ministry
New Donor Matching Grants
Learn how to double your donation to Living Water Ministries or the camp of your choice through the support of your Synod!
We have a matching gift challenge for the first $10,000 of donations received from new donors like yourself. This match is provided by the ELCA Lower Michigan Synods. Thus your gift will be matched one dollar for every one dollar given and will be used to continue the development of our ministry in bringing the love of Christ to the over 4,000 people that participate each year.
If you would like to join us in this exciting opportunity, please send your undesignated donation to Living Water Ministries, 3506 Garling Road, Fairview, MI 48621. Please make checks payable to Living Water Ministries. Or click on this link to donate now by
Automated Giving Through Your Bank Account via Electronic Fund Transfer or by the Simply Giving® Program Through Thrivent
Electronic Fund Transfers are designed to help you conveniently and consistently gift to our camping ministry. These transfers can be done weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly directly to Living Water Ministries or one of our camp facilities. You may participate by downloading the EFT form, completing it, and mailing it to Living Water Ministries. Or if you would like additional information, please contact Mary Krauss at (989) 848-2230.
Download the EFT Form
Simply Giving® is a new automated giving program from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. It’s designated to help you conveniently, consistently and joyfully give financial gifts to our camping ministry. By participating in Simply Giving®, you can use electronic funds transfers to give your weekly, semi-monthly or monthly offering to our ministry. To learn how you can participate in Simply Giving®, contact Mary Krauss at (989) 848-2230 or download the Simply Giving® form at the link below:
Download the Simply Giving® Form
Let Simply Giving®, help you build better stewardship by turning a simple choice into a generous response.
The GivingPlus® Program through Thrivent
A gift to Living Water Ministries can accomplish even more. If you are a Thrivent member through the GivingPlus® Program, your financial gift will be supplemented by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans at 50 cents for every dollar that you donate. For complete details you can download a brochure and application at http://www.thrivent.com/fraternal/churchcommunity/pdf/GivingPlusApplication.pdf
Once you’ve completed your application mail it to us for processing at:
Living Water Ministries
3506 Garling Road
Fairview, MI 48621
Give the gift of Camp
If you’d like to share the love of Christ through camp with other youth in need and don’t know how, consider these six possibilities:
1. Give to our Scholarship fund. Last summer we gave almost $5,000 in scholarships so an additional 52 youth could attend camp. Please send your Scholarship donation to “Camp Scholarships,” Living Water Ministries, 3506 Garling Road, Fairview, MI 48621. Please make checks payable to Living Water Ministries. Or click on this link to donate now by credit card.
Download the Scholarship Fund Informational Document
2. Give to our Board Endowment Fund. The purpose of the fund is to receive, administer and invest gifts of real and personal property so that a source of income is available to support and develop new and existing programs of Living Water Ministries. Please send your Endowment Fund donation to “Board Endowment Fund” Living Water Ministries, 3506 Garling Road, Fairview, MI 48621. Please make checks payable to Living Water Ministries. Or click on this link to donate now by credit card.
Download the Board Endowment Fund Informational Document
3. Call your local Department of Human Services office (DHS) and invite them to send one or more youth from your county with your group to camp this summer.
4. Give Camp as a Birthday, Christmas, or an Easter Present to a relative or friend that might otherwise not attend.
5. Attend family camp and bring a friend(s) with you.
6. Encourage the youth in your Church to invite other friends to attend. Perhaps even offer to pay all or a portion of their camp fee. And use this as a learning moment about how “evangelizing” is done best when done through existing or building relationships.
Gift of Stock or Securities
Living Water Ministries in partnership with The ELCA Foundation can receive gifts of stock or securities. Such donations offer a tax benefit to the donor by avoiding the capital gains tax. If you would like to make such a donation click on the link below for the ELCA Foundation website direction or call Mary at Living Water Ministries at (989) 848-2230 for additional help.
http://www.elca.org/fo/stockinstructions.html
Planned Giving, Wills, Bequests and Estates
Living Water Ministries in partnership with our ELCA Synod offices have a wide variety of Planned Giving and Estate planning options for ensuring your lasting legacy with Living Water Ministries while also helping to provide a secure income in your retirement. For additional information and consultation regarding your planned giving, please call Dan Smith at (989) 848-2230.
Living Water Ministries welcomes and appreciates gifts via a Will or Bequest. To ensure your Will or Bequest is as specific and accurate as possible, please remember to use our official legal name:
Living Water Ministries, A shared ministry of the Lower Michigan Synods of the ELCA.
Please also inform us of your decision to include us in your Will or Bequest so we can demonstrate our appreciation.
Charitable Gift Annuities
By making a gift of cash or securities to Living Water Ministries through the ELCA Foundation you provide yourself with a guaranteed annual income for the rest of your life. When you make your gift, Living Water Ministries and other ministries of the ELCA you elect will receive the remaining portion of your annuity after your passing. You not only enjoy the potential of an annual income, but may receive significant financial and tax advantages. The ultimate satisfaction comes in knowing you are making an important contribution that will support Living Water Ministries for years to come while having financial security of the ELCA Foundation.
Charitable gift annuities may be written for one or two lives. The minimum age for income beneficiaries is 35 years old. Younger donors may wish to explore the option of a Deferred Payment Charitable Gift Annuity. Below are the latest rates for one or two life annuities.
| One-Life Annuity Rate |
Two-Life Annuity Rate |
| 65 |
6.0% |
| 68 |
6.3% |
| 72 |
6.7% |
| 74 |
6.9% |
| 76 |
7.2% |
|
| 62 & 68 |
6.0% |
| 68 & 70 |
6.3% |
| 72 & 75 |
6.7% |
| 76 & 78 |
6.9% |
| 76 & 80 |
7.2% |
|
For more information or to purchase a gift annuity,
please call Dan Smith at (989) 848-2230
Examples of How Your Gift Can Impact Our Ministry
$115 Provides a scholarship for one camper who otherwise couldn’t attend camp.
$250. Underwrites the cost of fuel for one week of Day Camp.
$500 Underwrites the one month cost of utilities in our Red Pine unit or the LP Gas for one month at Stony Lake
$1,000 Underwrites the cost of programming supplies at one camp for one summer.
$2,500 Underwrites the cost of one staff member for one summer.
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