Denver Seminary

Engage Magazine - Fall 2013

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CHURCH Give Through Your IRA The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 extends the Charitable Rollover provision for 2013. This provision allows taxpayers over 70½ years old to make tax-free distributions from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) directly to the charity of their choice. Your 2013 IRA Charitable Rollover RMD can benefit Denver Seminary students. Once a taxpayer reaches 70½ years of age, s(he) must withdraw a yearly "required minimum distribution" (RMD) and pay tax on the withdrawal. The Charitable IRA Roll-Over permits IRA owners to make outright "qualified charitable distributions" directly from their IRA to qualifying charities without including their distribution in their income and, therefore, making it subject to taxation. Such charitable contributions, up to $100,000 annually, can be made up from an IRA. To do this properly, the donor must not withdraw the funds from the IRA. Instead, the owner/donor must direct the account custodian to transfer the gift directly to the charity. If you meet the criteria of the Act, we ask that you prayerfully consider a gift from your IRA to invest in Denver Seminary students who are preparing to engage the needs of the world with the redemptive power of the Gospel and the lifechanging truth of Scripture. The return on your investment will have an immediate and eternal impact on our students and those they encounter. As always, you should consult with your tax advisor or financial planner before finalizing major gifts such as these. If you would like more information about making a gift to Denver Seminary, contact: Ron Gascho at ron.gascho@denverseminary.edu or 303.762.6941 Jazz and the Gospel: Redemption in Action Jazz music has been a key part of life in America since the early 1800s and is loved and appreciated by both Christians and non-Christians. The challenge with jazz is that many don't consider it an acceptable genre for the worship service, which makes it difficult for most Christians when they appreciate live jazz. To enjoy good jazz, most believers must visit a local jazz club and risk inhaling residual smoke or encountering an intoxicated individual. And the atmosphere itself is usually not conducive to speaking about the redemptive love of God. Because of my love for jazz, I made the decision to take a risk and bring the genre to our church. As a ministry, we converted our mid-week service to what we refer to as Wednesday Night Jazz & Bible Study. The intention is to create an alcohol- and tobacco-free atmosphere where people can listen to great jazz. The jazz set usually lasts an hour and is followed by a time of worship that flows naturally into our Bible study. The house band consists of some of Denver's best jazz musicians and occasionally features jazz greats such as Tim Bowman, Nelson Rangell, and Steve Watts of Dotsero, to name a few. For the convenience of those coming straight from work, dinner is always served. Wednesday Night Jazz has become a major influence evangelistically for the ministry and attracts saved and unsaved jazz lovers alike. They come and enjoy a quality jazz session and a great meal, and always hang around for the ensuing Bible study. People who ordinarily would not attend church do so because of their love for jazz. To date, it's resulted in many hearing the gospel with its redemptive message and then developing a relationship with Christ. Rev. Felix Gilbert, MDiv DIRECTOR OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN INITIATIVE Along with his position at Denver Seminary, Rev. Gilbert serves as the senior pastor at Restoration Christian Fellowship. Chris Johnson at chris.johnson@denverseminary.edu or 303.762.6924 ENGAGE  11

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