Legacy Giving

In these pages, you can learn more about different kinds of legacy gifts, compare the benefits of each of them, and use tools like gift calculators to determine which type of gift may be best for you and your family. Click here to learn more.

Anyone who designates a gift to the Foundation or Church in a will, estate or other form of legacy gift will be recognized as a member of Rejoicing Partners. You can learn more about what kinds of legacy gifts make most sense for you and your particular circumstances by clicking here.

You can download a Letter of Intent to indicate your intention to include the Church or Foundation in your estate plans. By completing and returning this form, you will automatically be enrolled as a member of Rejoicing Partners.

Rejoicing Partners gets its name from the book of Acts, which tells the story of St. Philip the Deacon and the Ethiopian. Acts 8:39 reads: “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.”

Members of Rejoicing Partners are recognized by St. Philip the Deacon both to thank them for their generosity, and to encourage others to consider leaving a legacy gift to the Foundation or Church. Donors may also choose to remain anonymous if they desire.

Hear more about why members of St. Philip the Deacon became members of Rejoicing Partners in the videos below.

The St. Philip the Deacon Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnesota. Its goal is to solicit legacy gifts and provide Christian stewardship of accumulated assets to augment, expand and enhance the mission and ministry of the church. Because the Foundation specializes in the receipt and administration of legacy gifts through wills and other forms of estate planning—and because gifts to the Foundation support the mission and ministry of St. Philip the Deacon in perpetuity—it is the church’s preference that these types of gifts be made to the Foundation, rather than to the church directly. For more information about the Foundation, contact by email.

St. Philip the Deacon Foundation Board Members

Jason Bixby, Vice President
Scott Curtiss
Matt Geurink
Bruce Gilmore, Treasurer
Theresa Johnson, Secretary
Phil Milne
Brent Oswald
Lynn Stranghoener, President
Rebecca Sundquist
Tim Westermeyer

How Can I Leave a Legacy?
Your gift to the Foundation should be customized to best fit your particular circumstances. Gifts of all sizes are important and welcomed. Gifts of any size also usually translate into significant tax benefits for the donor.

Please contact your financial advisor or attorney to determine how you can best leave a legacy that will continue to build on the foundations laid in 1958, and that will lay new foundations for the future of this community of faith. You may also contact Senior Pastor Tim Westermeyer at 763-475-7136 or by email to discuss structuring a legacy gift to benefit the church.

Do you have any specifics about how to leave an estate gift?
Yes. You can learn much more about how to leave a legacy for St. Philip the Deacon through planned giving at by clicking here.

Should I alert the church if I would like to leave a legacy gift?
Yes, please do. To indicate your desire to leave a gift through your estate, please complete and return this Letter of Intent, which automatically makes you a member of our honorary legacy society, Rejoicing Partners.

What is the right amount to give?
There is no “right amount.” We welcome and celebrate gifts of all sizes to the Foundation. The important thing to remember is that contributing to the Foundation isn’t limited only to major gifts.

Can I leave part of my estate?
Yes. You can bequest either a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate to the Foundation. You can discuss these options with your attorney.

If I want to participate, do I need to contribute today?
No. If your contribution is in the form of life insurance or a bequest, for example, the Foundation won’t receive the contribution until your death.

Does the Foundation compete with annual fundraising?
No. Contributions to the Foundation are entirely different from the church’s annual operational stewardship appeals or triennial capital appeals, where members are encouraged to tithe annual income. The goal of the Foundation is to give individuals a way to contribute accumulated assets through gifts, wills and other forms of estate planning.

What is Rejoicing Partners?
To recognize those who have included the church or foundation in their estate plans—and to honor their commitment to the future ministry and mission of St. Philip the Deacon—we make them members of Rejoicing Partners. Read more about this honorary society.