The Love Fund at Christ the King
You are, hopefully, aware that Christ the King maintains a small pool of money to assist church members and attendees experiencing short-term financial emergencies. We refer to this as the Love Fund. However, you may not be aware of the origin of the fund nor how it is maintained. We hope to remedy that, as the woman whose generosity started it deserves remembering!
Sandy MacAlister was a long-time, active member of Christ the King. When she passed away in 2003, tragically at an early age, she left a sizable bequest to the church. Most of it went to set up the Mission Endowment Fund, but a smaller amount was earmarked to establish what came to be called the Love Fund. It has been used ever since by our pastors, with the advice of the Social Ministry Committee, to aid parishioners in need.
Grants from the fund are gifts, given in Christian love, and there is no mention nor expectation of payback, though some recipients have done so. The money has been used for emergency car repairs, rent or mortgage payments, medicine, legal fees, and many other needs. Whenever feasible, checks are written directly to providers—mechanics, landlords, doctors, etc. Since it is meant for short-term, emergency problems, repeat requests are not normally accepted, though exceptions can be made. Money for the Love Fund comes entirely from donations earmarked for the fund; nothing comes from the church’s general fund.
If you are having temporary financial difficulty, please talk to Pastor Tim or Deacon Mandy. They will first attempt to connect you various community sources that may be able to help, but if that is impossible, the Love Fund can be considered. As with any communication to the pastor, it is all held strictly confidential.
The flip side, of course, is that if you are in a sound financial position, please consider donating to the Fund. Make a note on a check put in the offering plate or on cash put in an offering envelope—or do what Sandy MacAllister did; remember it in your will.
Thank you for reading this far,
The Social Ministry Committee.
Noisy Offering Partner for February (and March):
ELCA World Hunger
