Gift Planning
Planned Giving
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Donor Stories

Donor Stories

Learn how others have provided for St. Luke's future through their estate planning. Additional donor stories are representative of how various giving strategies may be employed.

If you would like to offer a generosity witness for others, please contact David Heetland, our Pastor of Planned Giving and Stewardship.

  • Meet Pierre and Susan Twer
    Meet Pierre and Susan Twer
    Pierre and Susan Twer were college sweethearts from IU who have now been married for 39 years. Pierre is a regional manager for Abbott Labs, in...
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  • Meet Debra and Jeff Peek
    Both born in Indianapolis, Debra grew up in the Elkhart and Fort Wayne areas and moved to Speedway when in high school, and Jeff grew up in Broad Ripple and attended Jr and Sr High School...
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  • Meet Ann W. King
    Ann W. King has had an amazingly rich and varied career. She graduated from Ball State University with a major in Marketing/Merchandising...
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  • Meet Denny and Judi Jones
    What inspires a couple to include St. Luke's in their estate plans? For Denny and Judi Jones, it is their desire to help ensure...
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  • Meet Stephen and JoAnn Hoskins
    Stephen and JoAnn Hoskins are the poster couple for how to live active and fulfilling lives in retirement. In a recent interview with Pastor...
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  • Meet Jerry and Sue Shanks
    Jerry and Sue Shanks joined St. Luke's United Methodist Church in November 2022, and they have already included the church in their estate plans. What led them to do so?
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  • Meet Scott and Linda Arant
    If you want to meet two active retirees at St. Luke's, you need to meet Scott and Linda Arant. Soon after retirement they became involved in...
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  • Meet Joseph and Dinah Huse
    Nearly everyone at St. Luke's knows Chef Joseph and his wife, Dinah, and the wonderful meals they prepare for countless events at the church.
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  • Meet Jane and Bob Tharp
    Jane and Bob Tharp have had a "Love Affair" with St. Luke's United Methodist Church for many years. It started in 1967 when they settled on...
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  • Meet Sandy Harlan
    You are likely to see Sandy Harlan at St. Luke's regularly, as she is involved in a variety of ministries in and through the church. In addition...
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  • Meet Yvonne Hammond
    Yvonne Hammond has been an active member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church since 1987. What brought her to St. Luke's and what has kept her here? Read on to learn her story.
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  • Meet Nancy Bell
    Nancy Bell has been a member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church for 44 years. "I have been a quiet member," she says, "but that doesn't mean...
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  • Meet Rita Peat
    Rita Peat grew up in Elkhart, Indiana. After graduating from high school, she majored in elementary education at Indiana University. She married her best friend, Dave, and they began their careers, Dave as a pharmacist and Rita as a third grade teacher. Together they raised their two children, Adam and Katy, who continue to be blessings.
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  • Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift to Charity
    Joanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters of our organization. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged...
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  • Reduce Your Taxes with an IRA Rollover Gift
    Margaret was a retired librarian. She volunteered at her favorite charity several times a week and also made several donations to the charity each year.
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  • Tax-Free Sale
    Howard and Lynn were both age 55 when they purchased some vacant land a few miles outside of town. They thought real estate would be a good investment that could be sold later for a profit.
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  • Capital Gains Tax Bypassed
    Peter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities and built a sizable portfolio.
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  • Endowment Gift
    Pat and Shelly were recently married. They both had been dedicated volunteers at their favorite charity for many years.
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  • Sale and Unitrust
    Gene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. The company has done well.
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  • The Retirement Unitrust
    Mary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she and her husband Bill inherited the farm.
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  • An Easy Way to Help Our Work with Your IRA
    Daniel was a retired businessman who volunteered for our organization. When we decided to add a new program, he was excited to help in a significant way.
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  • Property Turns Into Income
    Miranda lived in the family home where she and her spouse had raised their three children. After her spouse passed away, Miranda found it increasingly difficult to care for her property.
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  • Part Gift and Part Sale
    Susan and Kevin bought a vacant lot along Lake Michigan many years ago. They had planned to build a second home so that their family could spend their summers along the lake.
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  • Current Gifts
    As is the case with many families, there are times each year when Jim and Sharon focus their attention on gift giving.
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  • Gift of a Bank Account When No Longer Needed (POD)
    Keith has been a faithful supporter of St. Luke's United Methodist Church and makes regular gifts to support our work.
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  • Transferable on Death (TOD) Gifts
    Harold and Jeanne married after meeting at an event St. Luke's United Methodist Church held for our donors. They wanted to leave a legacy gift...
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  • A Bequest to Further Good Work
    Nancy and David were dedicated volunteers. Over the years, they had seen many individuals helped by the good work of their favorite charity.
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  • What Will You Do with Your Unspent Retirement Savings?
    Michael and Kelly were retired engineers with two adult children. They owned a home, some stocks, and IRAs.
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  • A Bequest to Save Taxes
    Thomas was a widower who had a great love for our organization. As an individual who had directly benefited from our work, Thomas wanted to thank us with a gift from his estate.
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  • Leading for the Future
    Luke and Cynthia spent many years volunteering and supporting their favorite charity. They wanted to give back in a way that would help fulfill its mission.
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  • Give it Twice Trust
    While visiting her favorite charity's website, June came across the idea of a give it twice trust. She contacted the charity for more information.
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  • Providing for Our Children's Future
    Ron and Kathy worked for many years building their nest egg for retirement.
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  • IRA Rollover: A Gift with Substantial Benefits
    Mark was a retired attorney with a significant IRA and substantial income from investments. He had made IRA rollover gifts to his favorite charity several times in recent years.
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  • Bequest of Insurance
    Marla and Wayne purchased a life insurance policy many years ago to create security for their children's future.
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  • Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrust: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!
    We have all heard the saying "You can't have your cake and eat it too." This phrase describes a situation where we want two good things at the same time when that isn't possible.
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  • Avoiding Tax on a Business Sale
    Albert was the founder and sole shareholder of a small technology company that he started 30 years ago. At 65 years of age, he began thinking about selling the business.
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  • Using Blended Gifts to Reach Your Charitable Giving Goals
    Jay and his wife Amy wanted to support our organization with a significant gift of $100,000. They wanted to spread this gift out over several years but also wanted to make a gift of $25,000 this year.
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  • Gifts of Mineral Interests
    Walter and May recently retired and moved south to a new retirement community. They still own their 250-acre ranch.
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  • Gift for a Loved One with Special Needs
    Richard is a successful business owner. His younger brother, Robert, was born with special needs. For the past 10 years, Richard has supported Robert, including paying the costs for Robert's adult care facility.
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