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InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is surrounded by friends and alumni who demonstrate extra measures of care for our ministry staff and programs. Through well-planned current or estate gifts, these committed partners have also modeled stewardship-in-action that is a great testimony for us all. Gifts of appreciated assets, donor advised funds, insurance and other assets … and gifts made through wills, trusts and gift annuities show a high degree of thoughtfulness in how these supporters have accomplished their giving plans. Ginny Viola is one of these people. She is a wife, friend to her parents, business woman, mentor to women, leader in her church, an InterVarsity Board member, and has recently completed a Masters of Divinity … at the age of 60! A memorable stewardship milestone from her college days included discipleship that taught her to begin the habit of tithing early in her life. She found God to be faithful, even if tithing meant giving up spending money or food money, and learned it is impossible to out-give God. She and her husband, Joe, carried a mutual commitment to the tithe into their marriage. They look back on the medical practice they established many years ago and recall that they even used part of their start-up loans to keep giving. Through the years God has met them in many ways, always demonstrating his faithfulness to them. In considering a stewardship message to a younger generation, Ginny encourages young people to take the time now to learn how to be wise stewards. Position your life so that you can have the flexibility to choose ministry throughout your life. Learn about the power of compounding interest, and begin the discipline of saving early in life. These actions will help you maximize what you can give in older years. There is a role for everyone to play in advancing the Gospel … some will be able to use their time, some their talent, and others their funds … or all of these together! But, there is a role for everyone to play. Trust God! Life has its ups and downs, and there are no guarantees except this: that God will walk with you. If you have, or know of someone who has remembered InterVarsity in these ways, please contact us to be sure that we can honor them.
Gary Kopan
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