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2021 Charitable Contribution Changes

2021 Charitable Giving Tax Benefit Changes

The following information has been compiled from the Oklahoma Disciples Foundation for informational purposes only. It is recommended you check with your accountant or a tax advisor for details regarding this new tax benefit and your charitable gifts.

Expanded tax benefits have been enacted for individuals and businesses through the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, last December.

In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) expanded the deductibility of charitable contributions in 2020 allowing up to $300 for cash contributions to charity in 2020 to taxpayers taking the standard deduction.

2021 Charitable Contribution Deductions

In 2021, the charitable contribution deductions is $300 for individual taxpayers taking a standard deduction and married couples filing joint returns can deduct charitable (cash) gifts up to $600.

The requirements for deductibility:

Donations must be in cash (or by check, credit or debit card). This does not apply to contributions of property, marketable securities, real property, or otherwise.
The donation must be to a public charity. Donations to donor advised funds or most private foundations will not qualify.
Cash contributions carried forward from prior years do not qualify.

Charitable IRA Rollovers

Eligible taxpayers (those over 70½ years of age) have a beneficial way to support their favorite, qualified charities, including your congregation and the Regional Church, through the Charitable IRA Rollover, which has been in effect permanently since 2015. These charitable gifts can replace the required minimum distributions (RMD) that are required annually from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

If you are an IRA owner over the age of 70½, you can make charitable gifts directly from your IRA totaling up to $100,000 per year. These contributions will not be included in your adjusted taxable gross income for that year. Your IRA manager will be able to provide you with the paperwork.

If you are interested in making a gift to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma through an IRA Charitable Rollover, please contact the Regional Office at [email protected] or 405.528.3577.

Deductions

For individual taxpayers who itemize deductions: Individual taxpayers who itemize their deductions may now deduct certain charitable contributions up to 100% of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income (“AGI”). Prior to the CARES Act, taxpayers were limited to deducting certain charitable contributions up to 60% of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income.

The requirements for deductibility up to 100% of AGI:

Donations must be in cash (or by check, credit or debit card).
Donations must be made to a public charity (not to a donor advised fund or most private foundations).
Donations must be made during 2021.

If a donor gives more than 100% of their adjusted gross income, the donor may carry forward excess deductions for up to five subsequent tax years; although this deductibility may be set to expire after 2021.

Additionally, corporate limits for charitable cash deductions has increased from 10% to 25% of taxable income. Businesses donating food inventory in 2021 may also qualify for increased deduction limits.

Have you made a charitable gift this year?

You can easily make online gifts to the Region here or to the Oklahoma Disciples Foundation on their website to one of the funds supporting the ministries and missions of the church. Click this link “Together We Touch Lives” to see a list of endowment funds that support church ministry, missions and grant funding. Gifts to Disciple Club, Endowments or the Grants Program may be made in honor or memory of an individual. If requested, the Foundation will send a gift acknowledgement on your behalf. For information call (405) 525-6530

CCOK3012021-10-12T14:02:53-05:00Oct 6, 2021|Regional News|Comments Off

Wonderful! Restful! Fruitful!

This summer, the Region granted me a three month sabbatical. I was hungry for some rest, yes, but I was also very hungry to find a deeper, stronger, more resilient faith. After a wonderful, restful, and fruitful sabbatical, I am pleased to return to the call to serve the Regional Church! I am grateful for the Regional Executive Committee and the Regional Board for their encouragement and support for this sabbatical time. And I am also grateful for the Regional Staff and Rev. Paxton Jones for their dedication, knowledge, and wisdom to continue the ministry as expected.

So what did I do on this sabbatical? Several things. On May 1st, Randy and I moved temporarily to a cottage on a sizable horse ranch in Mineral Wells, Texas. We brought our cat, our dog, and our two horses with us. While there, we also welcomed a feral cat, a longhorn, and a crawdad! The month of May was a muddy mess. It rained every single day!

I began this sabbatical by taking the Faith Institute’s “Teaching Healthy Boundaries 101 & 201.” While this course was intended for me to join our other trainers in preparation for teaching Healthy Boundaries to clergy, it really helped me understand more fully why self-care boundaries are so important for clergy, even during sabbaticals.

Randy and I both were refreshed in our souls by sharing many evenings with friends we have not seen in several years. Around many tables, we broke bread and drank wine. We laughed and we wept with one another as we shared our joys and lamented our sorrows we had experienced over the last several years.

Family Time

We spent two weeks of this sabbatical time in Pagosa Springs, Colorado where we gathered with our children, our three year old grandson, and Randy’s sister and brother-in-law. This time was absolutely delight-full as we ate together and played together. Our adventures included fishing, hiking, shopping, and exploring through the eyes of a three year old! We also gathered as family at Lobo Lookout at Wolf Creek Pass to finally spread the ashes of our son Brook who died in December of 2018.

We also gathered with my family to finally join the ashes of my mother, Shirley Green, with my father in Arlington, Texas.

Sorrow permeated my sabbatical when Rev. Dr. Don Pittman died. And that same week, my favorite professor from TCU, Dr. Ronald B. Flowers died, and Rev. Bob Stewart died. All three of these men influenced my call to ministry in profound ways. I cling to the joy of knowing them and remembering them in simple and profound ways.

True Connection

The pinnacle of my sabbatical was a surprise invitation to participate in an eight day horse conference north of Dallas, Texas. The leader would be a woman I had never heard of, Ingela Larsson Smith, a professional horsewoman from Canada, who was offering an opportunity to have “True Connection” with your horse. I had one hour to decide and pay to reserve my place. I had the time, the horse, the trailer, and the money, and a very supportive husband!

Of course, I went with one set of expectations and came away awed and fulfilled . . . let me explain, very simply. In the first lecture, Ingela shared that she was a professional dressage rider and horse trainer around the world. She has trained the Queen of England’s horses and horses for the Sheik in the Middle East. Impressive, right? But she continued to say that her performance path left her heart yearning for something more, something deeper. So she turned to the Christian faith. She shared with her twelve students that we could never have “true connection” with our horses unless we had a “true connection with God.” Full stop, right? In other words, we as humans can make horses perform and work, but for a horse to choose us as a leader, and choose to be in relationship with us, we have to find a way to be fully present.

Before we ever got to the arena with our horses, she invited us to consider our relationship with God. God’s deepest desire, or hunger, is that we will choose to be in full relationship with God. That is easier said that done and where we often get confused. For a visual, Ingela placed three chairs in front of us. One of the three chairs represented the unbelievers in the world. People who have not yet heard the good news or choose not to believe it. A second chair represented all the believers, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, all those who believe in God and have a faith tradition. This is a good place to be, of course, but it is a place where we are also driven by the cultural demands of society . . . achieving, doing, ladders to success, demands. It becomes a place where we begin to hunger for more and more only to discover exhaustion and depletion.

The third chair represented God — the full, unconditional, steadfast love of God, who is fully present to us and lavishes us with love and grace when we choose to be in God’s presence, every time. This is the place to gently push aside and silence the many voices that question our goodness and to trust that you will hear a voice of blessing, and most importantly to realize that God walks with us, together. Ingela asked us, “In which chair would you like to sit?”

Of course, we all opted for the third chair because we are deeply hungry for this true connection with God, but we realized that we all, even as the best disciples of Christ, find ourselves in the second chair most often, distracted by the demands of our culture and daily work/tasks, and often lured by the critical voices in our head. To have true connection with your horse, Ingela said, you must find your way into the chair of God for yourself, to be loved without any distraction, to be fully and truly accepted for all that you are created in God’s image, and to be anointed over and over again with goodness and mercy. This, Ingela said, is the kind of presence you will need to be with your horse — fully present in your mind, in your heart, in your soul. At that moment, your horse will find true connection with you and you will walk together.

In the afternoon practical applications of Ingela’s lectures with our horses, all twelve of us found that magical and mystical moment of true connection with our horses. As you might imagine, holding on to it is another challenge!

I was on the edge of my seat for every word Ingela uttered about faith and relationships. And, feeling truly inspired and connected, equipped and empowered, I have discovered a new level of servant leadership both with my horse and with ministry. What I know for sure is that it is not all about me, it is about “we” and what we do together.

Again, I am deeply grateful for this time of rest and renewal to discover a deeper, stronger, more resilient connection with God, and I am equally as grateful to return to you as we do ministry together!

Peace & God’s Grace,
Pam

CCOK3012021-08-10T12:40:35-05:00Aug 10, 2021|Pamela Holt Blog, Regional News|Comments Off

Support Disciples Mission Fund 2021

DMF Day is June 24

Make a gift on DMF Day to support Disciples Mission Fund, which makes it possible for the whole church to work together, doing far more than we could alone.

Individuals and congregations make contributions to DMF, which funds the work of regional and general ministries, who make it possible for us to be the church together, in many ways and in many places.

If you’ve ever…

Sat around a campfire at church camp
Had a visit from a global mission co-worker
Visited a Disciples college
Served on a search committee for a new pastor
Attended Children Worship and Wonder

… then you’ve seen Disciples Mission Fund at work. Learn more about DMF

Tell us your DMF story!

How has DMF made an impact on your congregation or your life? Send your story and a picture to [email protected], and share it on social media tagged #DMFDoesThat.

Imagine what our gifts can do!

Donate to DMF

CCOK3012021-05-18T11:59:09-05:00May 18, 2021|Regional News|Comments Off

Paxton Jones: Peace Offerings

When our younger daughter was 2½ years old, her pediatrician advised us that she needed tubes put into her ears to combat a series of infections threatening her hearing. Arrangements were made; on Sunday I informed my congregation from the pulpit that I would be out of the office the next day and why; and too soon morning arrived.

In terms of medical procedures, putting tubes in a child’s ears is relatively minor. But this was my child, my baby, and though she marched down the hall to the surgical suite like a trooper, I was a nervous wreck. My anxiety was compounded by the absence of anyone waiting with us—no elder, no deacon, no one from the congregation, though it was obvious the previous day in church how anxious their young pastor was.

My wife and I were lonely and scared…and then the district minister of my region walked into the waiting room. He was the answer to a prayer I was too afraid to voice. He knew, when no one else seemed aware, that even pastors need pastoral care. And I swore to myself then and there that given the chance I would be “a pastor to pastors” whenever and however I could.

This episode is a foundational piece as to why I went into regional ministry and why, when my friend Pam Holt called, I came out of retirement to serve as your Acting Regional Minister for three months while she’s on a well-deserved sabbatical. I’m happy to be here—happy to minister with and to you, and to and for her—until she returns, hopefully renewed and refreshed, on August 1st.

I hope to encounter you soon, somewhere along the journey, here in Oklahoma!

Paxton Jones
Acting Regional Minister

CCOK3012021-05-05T15:23:33-05:00May 5, 2021|Regional News|Comments Off

FEMA Funeral Assistance for Covid-19 Deaths

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, (FEMA) is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.

Assistance is limited to a maximum of $9,000 per funeral and a maximum of $35,500 per application per state, territory, or District of Columbia

How to Apply

COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number: 844-684-6333 TTY: 800-462-7585
This dedicated toll-free phone number is open Monday-Friday 8 am to 8 pm CT. Call this number and FEMA’s representatives will help you complete a COVID-19 Assistance application. The interview should take about 20 minutes. Multilingual services are available.

Visit the FEMA Funeral Assistance website page HERE

Eligibility

To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these conditions:
• Death must have occurred in the United States
• Death certificate must indicate the death attributed to COVID-19
• Applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020.
• No requirement for deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.

Covered Costs

• Transportation for up to two individuals to identify the deceased individual
• Transfer of remains
• Casket or urn
• Burial plot or cremation niche
• Marker or headstone
• Clergy or officiant services
• Arrangement of the funeral ceremony
• Clergy or officiant services
• Arrangement of the funeral ceremony
• Use of funeral home equipment or staff
• Cremation or interment costs
• Costs associated with producing and certifying multiple death certificates
• Additional expenses mandated by an applicable local or state government laws or ordinances.

Further Information

Funeral Assistance Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and a Video:
“Providing Financial Assistance for COVID-19 Related Funeral Expenses” can be found HERE

CCOK3012021-05-05T14:34:29-05:00May 5, 2021|Regional News|Comments Off

Donate to 2021 Spring Annual Fund

April 12, 2021

Dear Friends in Christ,

Christ has risen! Christ has risen, indeed! Like the disciples, I hope you can feel the joy of the resurrected Christ!

Thank you for being a generous donor to the Regional Church’s Annual Fund. Your gift is an important way to be a “witness” that Christ is risen, forgiveness is offered, and hope is everywhere. We are grateful for every gift which helps us stay connected and together serve those in our communities who are broken, suffering, and/or most vulnerable.

This past year, love has looked and felt like sacrifice in so many ways. And yet, despite the sacrifices, our loving and serving like Jesus and the Disciples has been extraordinary. Your gifts to the Regional Church have brought some unimaginable joy!

Your gifts have provided the Region with resources so that with up-to-date technology, we have found our way, like you, through the closed sanctuary doors into windows filled with prayer, music, preaching and sharing in the Lord’s Table. In these moments of connection, whether it be a church in our neighborhood or one across the state, we have experienced the love of God embracing us like never before. Albeit different, the Regional Church has not missed a beat connecting with clergy and congregations in all of the various circumstances of the life of the church.

With your generous gifts, we continue to provide clergy and leaders with education and confidence that there are many resources for caring in crisis and long term recovery from any storm that arises.

With your generous gifts, the Region continues to reach out to provide courage and strength and dollars for those who are in need. Since the first of 2021, the Region has helped clergy and families who have been sick and yet recovered from COVID-19. We have partnered with Week of Compassion to provide financial relief to families who have struggled with paying their rent and utilities, and even more financial relief to families and congregations who suffered damages from the frigid, sub-zero winter weather.

As we look forward, we are cautious and excited for the Region to offer in-person camp this summer for our youth. We are also already making plans for the 2022 Regional Assembly to be held in-person at Harvard Avenue Christian Church in Tulsa. We know it will be a grand celebration of gathering, worshiping together, and making a joyful noise throughout the land!

Your gift is important. And, we are grateful for every gift which we turn right back around to help you and your church to love your neighbors and serve like Jesus.

Please give generously to the 2021 Annual Fund of the Regional Church! The depth and breadth of love in your gift truly makes a difference. Again, thank you for your part in the meaningful, life-giving work of the Regional Church.

Stay safe! Stay well! Stay hopeful!

Peace & God’s Grace,

Pamela G. Holt, Regional Minister

To learn about your Regional Church read the 2020 General Board Report or watch the video.

God has not caused the current breakdown of our world.
But here is what I know about Easter:
God is creating in us something more beautiful for having been broken.
Crucifixion to resurrection.
That’s how God works.

Rev. Cameron Trimble, author of
“Piloting Church: Helping Your Congregation Take Flight”

Gifts may be given securely through Givelify or online here or checks may be made payable to Christian Church in Oklahoma, noted Annual Fund, and mailed to 301 NW 36th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73118-8661.

CCOK3012021-04-12T13:44:38-05:00Apr 12, 2021|Regional News|Comments Off

Ready? Set? Go! Wait, I’m not ready!

Remember the children’s game, “Ready? Set? Go!” These are the words I’m hearing in my mind as I prepare to depart my Regional responsibilities for a long awaited three month sabbatical. Am I “ready?” No, I’m not! Am I “set?” Wait! I’m not ready!

I entered into the work force when I was 15 years old, and I have worked every year since with only two weeks vacation most years. In the latter years, four weeks but I never took all four at once. I was eligible for a sabbatical in 2007, but I gave it to my colleague instead who desperately needed it. I was eligible for a sabbatical again in 2013, but I chose to forego it so I could apply for this current position. I was supposed to take this sabbatical last year, but COVID-19 came. This year, I’m going, ready or not!

I have created a list of things to do while on sabbatical! After being trained to become a Healthy Boundaries trainer, my list includes rigorous exercise, playing with horses, reading a long list of books, writing every day, volunteering at a local community garden or food pantry, burying my mother’s ashes and spreading our son’s ashes, and reconnecting with family and many (vaccinated) friends.

My executive coach, Rev. Cameron Trimble, has advised me to set aside this long, too-long, list of things to do. Rather, she says, I need to make a list of ways “to be” ~ to rest and reclaim the person God has intended. Robert Saler in Planning Sabbaticals reminds me of the same wisdom in four important points:

He recommends taking the “joy vs. obligation test.” Is the activity on my list going to bring joy or is it an obligation? Sounds a bit like Marie Kondo!
He cautions not to make the mistake of creating a bucket list rather than balancing energy. The goals of a renewal leave all depend upon a deliberate pace with lots of “downtime” for reflection and processing built in.
He encourages reveling in unplanned detours, surprises, or other deviations from the “script”. In other words, make space for improvisation or the Holy Spirit.
Most of all . . . dream. Breathe. Give yourself over to the vulnerability of showing the world what it is that feeds your soul. That trust is the cornerstone of sabbaticals that renew and delight. Robert Saler, Planning Sabbaticals, (Missouri: Chalice Press, 2019) 39-48.

I think I will listen to these two wise, experienced mentors who are both encouraging me to practice being and not doing. I truly pray my time away will be filled with the grace and mercy of God to be renewed and prepared for a new season of shared ministry and mission with you all.

So, ready or not, I am going! As I walk out the door in a few weeks I am reminded of Wayne Muller’s words:

“Jesus did not wait until everyone had been properly cared for, until all who sought him had healed. He did not ask permission to go, nor did he leave anyone behind “on call,” or even let his disciples know where he was going. Jesus obeyed a deeper rhythm. When the moment for rest had come, the time for healing was over. He would simply stop, retire to a quiet place, and pray . . . When Jesus prayed he was at rest, nourished by the healing spirit that saturates those still, quiet places.” Wayne Muller, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives (New York: Bantam, 1999), 25.

Like Jesus, I am going, leaving some tasks untended. Unlike Jesus, I have permission! And, I am leaving you in the very competent hands of Rev. Paxton Jones, the Acting Regional Minister, Associate Regional Minister Rev. Michael Davison, and Executive Assistant Ellen Spleth, who serve as the Regional Staff, and of course, the Regional Executive Committee and Board are equipped to handle anything that might arise. Thank you all for this privilege of rest and to be nourished by the healing spirit.

CCOK3012021-04-07T13:43:05-05:00Apr 7, 2021|Pamela Holt Blog, Regional News|Comments Off

Stepping Out From Behind the Screen

I hope that celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ brought joy to you and your congregation! Now begins the season where we see the risen Christ at work, not just in the Bible, but also in our lives.

It is a joy to share that your Regional staff are fully vaccinated. This means that we are able to lift our travel guidelines a bit. Still cautious, and still practicing all the safety protocols, Michael, Pam, and Paxton Jones (Acting Regional Minister during May, June, & July) will begin traveling for congregational worship beginning April 11, 2021.

We will continue to join you in worship via Zoom or Facebook, but now we will be able to join you for special events such as installations or retirements or to fill the pulpit as needed. To be present with you in worship, we expect your congregation to also be practicing all the safety protocols recommended by the CDC, wearing masks, washing your hands, watching your distance.

April 11, 2021 – Michael preaching in person at Enid Central CC
April 18, 2021 – Pam preaching via Zoom at Tulsa Bethany CC
April 18, 2021 – Michael presiding at the retirement of Rev. Charles Ragland, Claremore FCC

Camp and Conference will be in-person this summer. And, beginning this fall, we will also be considering in-person meetings at the Disciples Center.

Over the next few months will be scheduling and attending many pastor installations, retirements and ordination services that have been postponed.

Looking forward to seeing the beauty of Spring!

Peace & God’s Grace,

Regional Minister Pamela Holt

CCOK3012021-04-06T09:19:16-05:00Apr 6, 2021|Regional News|Comments Off

Seminary Scholarships from Phillips Legacy Foundation

Phillips University Legacy Foundation is pleased to offer a merit-based Seminary scholarship program for full-time, first-year seminarians who are pursuing a Masters of Divinity degree, are committed to pastoral ministry, and will attend one of the following Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) affiliated seminaries or foundation homes:

Brite Divinity School – Ft. Worth, TX

Christian Theological Seminary – Indianapolis, IN

Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt – Nashville, TN

Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago – Chicago, IL

Disciples Seminary Foundation:

Claremont School of Theology – Claremont, CA
ILIFF School of Theology – Denver, CO
Pacific School of Religion – Berkeley, CA
San Francisco Theological Seminary at University of Redlands –San Anselmo, CA

Lexington Theological Seminary – Lexington, KY

Phillips Theological Seminary – Tulsa, OK

The purpose of this program is to perpetuate the mission and the legacy of Phillips University by helping educate people who will be future ministers of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

For more information about the Phillips University Legacy Foundation Seminary Scholarship Program, please contact Tamela Harsha, Scholarship Administrator, at (580) 237-4433 or email [email protected]. Applications can be accessed online. The application deadline is Friday, May 14, 2021.

New Endowed Scholarship

Phillips University Legacy Foundation is pleased to announce a newly endowed scholarship fund. The Rev. Dr. Jimmie L. and Connie K. Gentle Scholarship was created by the Gentles’ three sons and their families to honor their parents. (Learn more)

The Jimmie L. and Connie K. Gentle Scholarship will be awarded to a Phillips University Legacy Scholar attending TCU.

Jimmie ’59 Gentle and Connie (Roberts) ’57 Gentle met at Phillips University. After graduation from Phillips University, Jimmie L. Gentle was an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and served congregations in Oklahoma and Arizona. He subsequently spent the majority of his career as the Regional Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Florida. Connie K. Gentle had a long, successful career as an educator in the Orange County Public School System in Orlando, Florida.

When notified of the establishment of the scholarship, they commented. “Phillips University provided an environment for us to develop a cadre of life long friends. Phillips challenged us to think critically especially regarding the Bible, and led us into an expanding appreciation of the fine arts.”

“Our liberal arts studies helped us mold a global worldview, our lifestyle, and our professional career choices. Now in this conflicted era, more so than ever before, there is still a vital role for the liberal arts university. It should be championed and supported.”

Dr. Donald Gentle said, “Our parents have always believed in the value of higher education. Our family feels that this scholarship is a way to honor their lifelong commitment to education, while creating ongoing support for the education of future generations and continuing the mission of Phillips University.”

CCOK3012021-03-25T15:27:25-05:00Mar 25, 2021|Regional News|Comments Off

DCEF’s Rick Reisinger to Retire

On January 11, 2021, Rick Reisinger, President of Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF), shared his plans with the DCEF Board and staff to retire at year’s end – December 31.

Throughout his career, he has helped DCEF successfully navigate challenges, including high interest rates in the late 70s and early 80s; the Dotcom collapse of the late 90s; the 2007-08 recession; and, the current pandemic.

Through DCEF, Reisinger lives out his faith and love for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) by finding innovative ways to meet the financial needs of new and existing congregations and other ministries so they may thrive. Under his leadership DCEF remains focused, not on the past, but on the future of its ministry partners.

CCOK3012021-01-25T15:55:52-06:00Jan 25, 2021|Regional News|Comments Off