For 50 years, Atonement Lutheran Church has sought to spread the love of Christ and his mercy within and beyond the boundaries of Atonement. Today, we are strengthening this effort by establishing AEP as a vehicle for putting the congregation’s various talents and ideas into action. While we are one in mission, our ideas and talents are varied and need a vehicle for expression.

The Atonement Endowment Program needs your prayers and financial support to be an instrument of Jesus Christ, to be a lasting anchor for Atonement Lutheran Church and a catalyst for new ministries. Contributing to AEP is one way of putting your faith into action, as all dollars earned on investments will be distributed in a measured, thoughtful way to support the long-term growth of God’s Kingdom.

Create a legacy with your gift to AEP. The Endowment Program gratefully accepts one-time and recurring gifts of any amount. Please consider AEP when you are:

• Planning your estate
• Considering a memorial gift 
• Making a gift of thanksgiving
• Considering a charity of your choice
• Thinking about your legacy
• Occasionally supplementing your regular giving to Atonement

Some examples of creative ways to leave your legacy include:

Donors interested in giving $50,000 or more have the option of designating restrictions on how earnings from the gifts are used, provided the restrictions are consistent with AEP’s policies. Gifts of $50,000 or more also come with the opportunity to name the fund. Two or more donors can make a combined gift to establish a legacy to their special ministry at Atonement Lutheran Church.

Our Stewardship Committee partners with Eileen Fitzenreiter, Gift Planning Counselor from the Lutheran Church’s Missouri Synod Foundation, to hold informational meetings regarding charitable giving and will awareness. Eileen is available to Atonement members and others to help develop a lifetime plan for giving. She takes participants step-by-step through the challenges, questions and information needed to tackle the most frequent gifting and legacy matters. The confidential service includes a discussion of your goals and how the opportunities and benefits in charitable planning might fit these goals. This service is available at no cost and with no commitment for making gifts to the Atonement Endowment Program. If you are interested in speaking or meeting with Eileen to discuss your legacy for Atonement she can be reached at 419-599-0213.

Each year, Atonement members, leaders and friends of the congregation will submit applications to request financial support for their proposed programs or projects for new ministries, as well as continued support for programs in their infancy stage. A rotating committee of Atonement members and leaders will select one or more proposals to be funded from earnings of the AEP investments. To date, AEP provided funding for our K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and for our English as a Second Language (ESL) program. ESL has allowed us to build new relationships and strengthen existing relationships with families in our immediate community. The Family ESL at Atonement Steering Committee stated, “We ask that God will open doors through these relationships for the Gospel to be planted.”

You can request funding to support a new ministry at any time. Applications will be evaluated annually by an Award Committee and they will make recommendations to the Church Council for consideration. Download the AEP Award Application by clicking here.

Please contact the AEP Chair if you would like further information or have questions about Atonement’s Endowment Program. The AEP Chair can be reached at alcendowment@googlegroups.com or by telephone at 614-451-1880.