Sharing God's Love from Generation to Generation

What is a Covenant Circle?

Covenant Circle Members

An Invitation

What is the Covenant Circle?

    In our rapidly changing world, there is a great need for people to hear the gospel message of God's love.  First Presbyterian Church strives to strengthen today's families by sharing this message through a variety of ministries.  Unfortunately, the needs of our society are so great that the church's annual budget does not always provide sufficient funds to do the necessary work.

    Responding to the need for additional funding, several people have made provision for our ministry through gifts of cash and securities, and through estate giving.  Conservatively invested as part of our church's Family Outreach Endowment, these gifts provide a steady stream of income for our ministry with families.  The principal invested in the endowment may not be used for any purpose, but the income is available to fund special mission projects as approved by the Session.

    The individuals who have given to the Family Outreach Endowment make up a Covenant Circle; a group of men and women committed to serving the Lord, who are bound together by their enduring commitment to provide financially for the church's ministry with families.  Those giving gifts in excess of $1,000 have been specially designated as Covenant Partners.  Those giving smaller amounts have been designated as Covenant Friends.  Through their gifts, the members of the Covenant Circle have made certain that the church will always have the resources to reach out to new generations.

Covenant Circle Members

    Covenant Partners

    Franklin Trubee

    The Rev. Franklin Trubee devoted a lifetime to the Christian ministry, serving Presbyterian churches in West Virginia and Ohio, and serving as a Presbytery executive.  During years 1945-1949, Franklin served as pastor of Minerva's First Presbyterian Church, and thereby established a life-long relationship with the town of Minerva and with the church.  For close to forty years, he and his wife Viola resided in Minerva and took an active part in the life of the community.  In 1985, Franklin Trubee was name Pastor Emeritus of First Presbyterian Church.  He was always dedicated to the youth of the church, and did everything he could to strengthen the ministry of the church in Minerva.  Of all the things that might be said in tribute to his ministry, perhaps the most eloquent testimony comes from the fact that Franklin's son, Eldon, chose to follow him into the ordained ministry.  Franklin Trubee is a great servant of God, and a blessing to First Presbyterian Church.

   Grace Heffelman

    Grace Heffelman was a woman of tremendous faith who loved people, took an active part in the life of the church, and gave of herself in any way that she could.  Grace enjoyed being active in the women's circles of First Presbyterian church.  Grace regularly baked bread for communion and helped prepare funeral dinners.  She attended worship regularly, and was always very supportive of the church's mission.  Grace took great pleasure in visits from church members, and especially from the youth during their annual Christmas caroling event.

   Leota Seaburg White

    Leota Seaburg White was a lifetime member of the Presbyterian Church at New Harrisburg, Ohio and also belonged for over 40 years to the Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Kentucky.  She was a very charitable and giving Christian.  She would be very pleased to know that her bequest has been placed in the Family Outreach Endowment of Minerva's First Presbyterian Church.

   Dr. Samuel Weir

    Dr. Weir was a long-time resident of Minerva, having come to town in 1936.  Until he retired in 1986, he served as one of our town's most dedicated physicians.  Dr. Weir has also been one of the First Presbyterian Church's most devoted members, attending and supporting the church for over sixty years.  His commitment to the church is shown through his gift to the Family Outreach Endowment.

    Harry & Ruth Singer

    Ruth and Harry Singer were devout Presbyterians.  They attended church on a regular basis, and actively took part in the life of the church.  Ruth was a soft-spoken, gentle woman, and Harry was a "Mr. Fix-it" who could do most kinds of repair work, and readily used those skills to help his neighbors and the church.  The Singers were devoted to their Lord, and to First Presbyterian Church

    Covenant Friends

       Polly Mueller

       Henry Stanislaus Kaminski

An Invitation

   The challenges faced by today's families are overwhelming.  First Presbyterian Church's mission is to help strengthen families by sharing the good news of God's love.  Much of the funding for our ministry will come from the donations of Covenant circle members, which together make up the family Outreach Endowment.  Using the interest from this endowment fund, the church is able to expand its ministries beyond the limits of annual giving, and reach out to families in new and exciting ways.

    Would you like to become a member of the Covenant Circle?  Would you like to make provision for our future ministry with families?

    You may make contributions to the endowment in many ways.  Estate giving, gifts of stock, and charitable remainder trusts are only a few of the ways you can give.  Through careful planning, it is actually possible to give a principal sum to the church, receive income from it for the rest of your life, and still claim the gift as a tax deduction.

Will you join the Covenant Circle?

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