We ask you to join with us in bringing the Kingdom of God into reality here on Earth. As we work to carry out the will of God through our worship, our Sunday School program, through the founding of the East Bay Food Pantry in 2009, our Deacons Fund support for emergency rent and utility payments, our Good Night Lights project, Prayer Shawl Ministry and other projects and programs, we welcome your gifts of Time, Talent, and Treasure. Every day we seek to follow the lesson laid out in Matthew 25:31-40:
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, “I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (NIV)
Make a Tax Free Donation to FCC from your Retirement Account
Generally, a Qualified Charitable Distribution is a tax free distribution from an IRA, 401K, or other qualified retirement plan, owned by an individual. You must be over 59½ to avoid an early withdrawal tax. The distribution is paid directly by your IRA administrator to a qualified charity (like the FCC). Your Qualified Charitable Distributions can satisfy all or part the amount of your Required Minimum Distribution from your IRA. If you have a qualified retirement plan, you should know about the tax benefits of the IRS QCD rules.
If your retirement plan qualifies, you will give your plan administrator instructions for the QCD payment. The request may be done on-line, or by phone. The rest will be organized by the administrator. The payment check may be sent to you for delivery to the FCC.
See the Qualified Charitable Distributions section of this IRS on-line instruction for more detail. For even more detail, see Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs).
YOU Can be a Fundraiser for FCC
Using Social Media to raise funds is easier than you think. Social Media can provide the platform that you can utilize to raise funds for First Congregational Church.
Many folks have used the fundraising function on Facebook to raise money. A birthday, a special event or project can serve as the focus. Just go to https://www.facebook.com/fundraisers/about/ and learn how to create a fundraiser. You will receive explicit directions on how to launch a fundraiser. Birthday fundraisers often prove very successful. You must have a Facebook account to participate.