Impacting Lives for Christ

There was a humble, hardworking farmer who lived in north Texas. You would probably have described him as a minimally educated, apparently poor, country farmer. If you knew him though, you would see he was a frugal man who really didn’t need much too live on. He had never married, so he only had himself to worry about. This man’s modest living, careful spending, and faithful saving led to the accumulation of a surprisingly sizable estate.

This humble Christian man really cared about only two things when it came to his money:
1. That it could be used to impact lives for Christ after he left this world.
2. That he could use it to show his love for the Lord and for the church after he was gone.

In 1980, after hearing former Texas District President Carl Heckmann preach one Sunday, this man who had no wife or children worked with his attorney to write his Last Will and Testament. He named Lutheran Foundation of Texas (now Legacy Deo) as the Independent Executor of his estate. Late last year, at the age of 98, this man passed away. In his will he left his estate assets to his siblings, their spouses and children, Concordia University, and Texas District Church Extension Fund.

Texas District Church Extension Fund was blessed to receive 45% of his estate totaling over $350,000. These funds will do exactly what this generous man wanted to do: impact lives with the love of Christ.

Just like this faithful steward did 40 years ago, you can arrange your giving plan now.

There are many options regarding your investments at Texas District Church Extension Fund (Texas CEF). You can designate more than your family members as beneficiaries. Consider adding beneficiaries such as Texas CEF, Texas Partners in Mission, your home congregation, or your favorite charitable organization. You can download the beneficiary form by clicking here. You can also reach out to Legacy Deo at 512-646-4909 or info@legacydeo.org to discuss estate planning and planned giving ideas. If you so choose, Legacy Deo can be named Independent Executor of your estate. Legacy Deo CEO Dr. Jerry Kieschnick reminds us that “Our legacy from God is who we are and what we have. Our legacy to God is what we do with who we are and what we have.”

Texas District President Michael Newman, Texas CEF Executive Director Becca Jones, and Legacy Deo CEO Dr. Jerry Kieschnick
Legacy Deo CEO Dr. Jerry Kieschnick speaking at the 2020 Leadership Gathering at Messiah, Plano