Earth Ministry/WAIPL has more than a 30-year history of leading the way in caring for the environment from a faith perspective. If you want to make a lasting gift that reflects your deeply-felt values while making a real difference for the Earth, include Earth Ministry/WAIPL as part of your estate planning goals.
Estate planning isn’t just for the rich or older people. It’s for everyone! It can begin by simply writing a will, but it can also involve changing beneficiaries of life insurance policies and retirement accounts, and providing for your charitable interests through planned giving.
To ensure that your estate plans meet your long-term income and family needs, be sure to consult with your attorney or financial adviser.
To learn more about planned giving to Earth Ministry/WAIPL and your options for planned giving, please see Leaving a Faithful Legacy Through Estate Planning.
To discuss making a planned gift to Earth Ministry/WAIPL, please contact Executive Director Rev. AC Churchill at (206) 632-2426 or ac@earthministry.org. They will be happy to talk with you about planned gifts to consider or to schedule a time to meet with you in person.
Leaving a Legacy: Rev. Steve and Carolee Grumm
For Rev. Steve and Carolee Grumm, experiencing the diversity of nature in “the little places that we’ve lived” unites them in caring for God’s creation. Steve and Carolee have lived, worked and played in the Black Hills and Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, the Sangre Di Cristo Mountains of Colorado, and the agricultural diversity of the Willamette Valley in Oregon, before settling in Seattle 18 years ago.
“Though we’ve experienced the wonder of creation through travel,” Carolee says, “we most personally recognize the hand of the Creator in all the little places we’ve lived. And we’ve seen what can happen if creation isn’t cared for.” Just 60 miles away from their home in Wyoming was a dumping ground for oil processing plants and a large-scale coal mining operation. “Damage to the earth made a big impression on us and made us want to protect what we love.”
Steve and Carolee discovered Earth Ministry/WAIPL when they moved to Seattle. It was refreshing for Steve to hear Earth Ministry/WAIPL leaders speak of God active in the natural world, and people of faith share a passion for environmental justice. “Earth Ministry has challenged me to take action and inspire others to do the same,” he says. “I’ve valued the conversations with people I’ve met through the work of Earth Ministry and the relationships I’ve built over the years.”
Currently Steve and Carolee share time with their grandson Hawkeye as he creates his own experiences in the natural world. They see Earth Ministry/WAIPL as a the best way to put their faith into action for future generations and have included Earth Ministry/WAIPL in their estate planning. Says Steve, “we want to leave a legacy and see Earth Ministry’s history of success continue long into the future. There’s no better organization to articulate and act upon the moral imperative to care for all creation.”