April 7, 2015 – The Southeastern Iowa Synod, ELCA has received a $70,000 gift from Grace Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Iowa, which is above and beyond their regular mission support. This gift represents a tithe from a portion of a bequest to Grace Lutheran Church that was received in January 2015 from the estate of Marvin Malmin.
Marvin Malmin was a long time treasurer of Grace Lutheran Church, devoted Lutheran, and advocate of planned giving. Along with family members, three non-profit organizations – including Grace Lutheran – were the recipients of gifts in the form of bequests. This final act of stewardship was one that was very important to Marvin.
“Mr. Malmin’s gift is breathing life and energy into the work of God here at Grace,” said Pastor Michael Schmidt. “We are thrilled at the opportunities such a gift provides. We wanted to honor Marvin and continue his legacy of giving back. We felt the best way to do that was through a ‘first fruits’ gift to the Southeastern Iowa Synod in the form of a tithe.”
This generous sharing from the bequest of Marvin Malmin in the form of an undesignated gift is a witness to our partnership in the gospel, and will support various ministries of the Southeastern Iowa Synod. “Individual members, congregations, and synods can add significantly to the strength of the mission and ministry of this church when day-to-day generosity is paired with faithful planning for the future. We are deeply grateful to Grace Lutheran Church for this gift,” said Bishop Michael Burk.
To learn more about planned giving and how a final act of stewardship can have a powerful impact on the mission and ministry of your congregation and the Southeastern Iowa Synod, please contact Pr. Gloria Dovre, Assistant to the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission, ([email protected] or 319-338-1273).
