Giving at Church in the Forest
Church in the Forest has been a beloved presence on the Monterey Peninsula since 1987. Generous members and friends sustain the church through gifts that are expressions of their faith in God and in the mission of the church. Worship, Bible study, music, fellowship, pastoral care and community outreach are made possible with financial gifts to the church. You can contribute to the church in several ways:
MEMORIAL GIFTS
Memorial Gifts, honoring a loved one or friend, are gratefully accepted to enhance the mission of the church. To make your gift online click on the button below or mail your contribution to address below:
ANNUAL PLEDGE
Church in the Forest invites all members and friends to make regular commitments to the church by pledging each year, allowing the church to plan and manage most effectively. Pledge income provides over eighty percent of the revenue for the annual budget. Click to make an online pledge or to arrange a regular online contribution.LEGACY GIVING
Many member and friends of Church in the Forest extend their financial support to future generations through a Legacy Gift in their wills, trusts, estate plans, various types of life income, or outright gifts. All Legacy Gifts are invested in the church's Fund for the Future, which provides for the capital budget of the church. In addition, Legacy givers are honored as members of the church's Legacy Circle. If you have already included the church in your estate plans, please notify us so that we may thank you and include you in the Legacy Circle. In addition, Legacy givers are honored as members of the church’s Legacy Circle. To read about our Legacy givers, click here. If you wish more information about Legacy Giving please call or email our church administrator.MEMORIAL GIFTS
Memorial Gifts, honoring a loved one or friend, are gratefully accepted to enhance the mission of the church. To make your gift online click on the button below or mail your contribution to address below:
Church in the Forest
P. O. Box 1027
Pebble Beach, CA, 93953-1027
A Guide to Planned Giving
Christine Dawson, CFRE, Vice President of Philanthropic Services, Community Foundation for Monterey County
A planned gift is one delivered after one’s death. It can benefit you, your family, and the causes you care about. Ms Dawson led us through practical matters regarding leaving a financial legacy. See Your Legacy to learn more about planned giving. Your gifts to Church in the Forest are invested in the funds of the Community Foundation of Monterey, when not needed immedately for church operations. Many other local philanthropies and nonprofits also invest there, creating a powerful financial tool to improve life throughout our area. The Foundation's mission, indeed, is “To inspire philanthropy and be a catalyst for strengthening community throughout Monterey County.” Community Foundation offers classes for those who want to learn more about philanthropy. Contact Ms Dawson at 831-375-9712 x126 or christine@cfmco.orgReflecting on my Life and Legacy
Shary Farr, Founder and President, Partners for Transitions
A deeper and more intimate encounter with ourselves, our families, and our friends is what Mrs. Farr preaches. She encourages you to:- Record your wants and needs regarding health care
- Record the information the executor of your estate requires
- Share the values and experiences that shaped your life
- Create a “love letter” to your family; this is also known as a “spiritual will”
- Recognize the people and organizations that can benefit from your financial legacy
Among us is a generous gentleman who finds joy in sharing.
George Dreibelbies has lived in Pacific Grove since 1997 when he moved from Atlanta. He followed his sister, Nancy Reiley, and his mother to the Monterey Peninsula after a career as an aeronautical engineer at Lockheed in Atlanta.
George is a graduate of Penn State University. Football has been important to him since school days when he played guard for his high school football team. He spent ten years in the U.S. Air Force which gave him the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology. George was recruited by Lockheed Martin where he was challenged by the demands of his varied assignments and roles.
When asked about his unusual surname, George recounts visiting Switzerland and, near Basel, finding a small town cemetery filled with headstones marking the graves of his ancestors. How very moving this must have been. The Dreibelbies first came to America in 1732.
In retirement George enjoys sharing time with his sister Nancy Reiley and her large family. He follows football with enthusiasm and enjoys the job of managing his investments. Reading is a favorite pastime. His Pacific Grove home is a haven and base for pursuing his many interests. As he meets the challenges of growing older, George is grateful for delivery services provided by Amazon, CVS, and Safeway that make staying in his home doable.
George says that “the long term future of Church in the Forest” is important to him. Therefore he has remembered our church in his will.George says, “For those who have the resources to do so, helping to ensure the future of Church in the Forest can provide much joy.”
Are you interested in providing for the church in your will? Please speak with one of the pastors who will assist you in creating your own satisfaction of giving.
George Dreibelbies has lived in Pacific Grove since 1997 when he moved from Atlanta. He followed his sister, Nancy Reiley, and his mother to the Monterey Peninsula after a career as an aeronautical engineer at Lockheed in Atlanta.
George is a graduate of Penn State University. Football has been important to him since school days when he played guard for his high school football team. He spent ten years in the U.S. Air Force which gave him the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology. George was recruited by Lockheed Martin where he was challenged by the demands of his varied assignments and roles.
When asked about his unusual surname, George recounts visiting Switzerland and, near Basel, finding a small town cemetery filled with headstones marking the graves of his ancestors. How very moving this must have been. The Dreibelbies first came to America in 1732.
In retirement George enjoys sharing time with his sister Nancy Reiley and her large family. He follows football with enthusiasm and enjoys the job of managing his investments. Reading is a favorite pastime. His Pacific Grove home is a haven and base for pursuing his many interests. As he meets the challenges of growing older, George is grateful for delivery services provided by Amazon, CVS, and Safeway that make staying in his home doable.
George says that “the long term future of Church in the Forest” is important to him. Therefore he has remembered our church in his will.George says, “For those who have the resources to do so, helping to ensure the future of Church in the Forest can provide much joy.”
Are you interested in providing for the church in your will? Please speak with one of the pastors who will assist you in creating your own satisfaction of giving. A New Home in Pebble Beach
My name is Carle Mowell, and my husband Larry and I moved to Pebble Beach in 2018. I began my search for a church home soon after, and found my way to Church in the Forest. Lucky me! You have all been warm and welcoming and I feel a part of this wonderful faith community.
As an active member (Covid 19 has been so hard), I take my financial support of the Church seriously, through pledging and recognizing church and community needs. So when it came time for Larry and me to update our will and estate plans to align with California laws, we had an opportunity to review our established bequests.
Like many of you, we had a deep and fulfilling earlier life in another community, and those church and community needs are still compelling to us. But we saw the opportunity to look forward to this stage of life, and identify some new organizations and initiatives that support our values. Some things don’t change!
And we had timely help with this process–our church’s “What Really Matters” program of 2019–2020.
What Really Matters
Throughout 2019 and into 2020, through the “What Really Matters” meetings hosted by the church, our congregation undertook the process of looking inward to identify our values and priorities for this later chapter of our lives. Through guided exercises we explored more deeply the messages we wished to share with our families and what end of life rituals were meaningful to us. These gatherings motivated Larry and me to complete our medical directives and will and estate plans.
What Are Your Next Steps?
Did you know Church in the Forest has a planned giving program? Those who remember the Church in their final plans–regardless of amount or type of gift–join our Legacy Circle. When I notified the Church that we had made that decision, we became a part of that Circle that wants to bless our Church for the future! I am looking forward to being in worship with you all very soon. When we get back, you will find a Planned Giving brochure in the pew pocket. Please take it home and consider remembering CiTF in your plans. The Church hopes to host a recognition of Legacy Circle members in June, which is National Leave a Legacy Month. If you have not yet informed the Church of your plans and would like to, simply send a note to Terri. But, if you prefer to keep that information private, we respect that too–and will celebrate you on some future date! If you have any questions about Legacy giving, please feel free to contact me or Reverend Swenson.—Carle Mowell