July 10, 2026
Dear church,
If you’ve been to church in the last few weeks, I bet you’ve noticed (and smelled!) the new carpet! Thanks to a gift from Craig Fields’ estate, we were able to put new carpet in the narthex, hallways, and Koinonia Gallery this past month. Today, I wanted to share with you a little bit more about Craig and the gift that he designated for Grace before he died.
Craig Fields was a faithful, passionate, and committed member of our congregation for many years. He was a visionary, and always had in mind not just the current health and mission of our congregation, but also its future. In many ways, he lived his life this way, too. As a financial advisor, he came alongside people to help them steward their resources for the present and for the future. And when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease seven years ago, what it meant for him to plan for the future took on a new tone. Craig lived his days with a deeper awareness of his mortality, and in his last years of life, he did all he could to set up a plan for the end of his life and for life after his death.
One of the plans Craig put in place was an estate plan - a legal roadmap that dictates how one's assets are distributed, managed, and protected at the time of death. As part of this plan, Craig gave tremendous thought to where he wanted his assets to go, what ministries and organizations he wanted to support, how he wanted his life to continue to bless and support the things he cared about, even after his death. One of those organizations was Grace Lutheran Church, and it’s because of his gift that we were able to install new carpet and create a much more beautiful and hospitable space at the entrance to our building and sanctuary. A portion of his gift also went to Grace's Endowment Fund.
I share all of this with you because I hope you will consider following in Craig’s footsteps - both by putting together an estate plan and by considering sharing a portion of your assets with Grace after your death. It is one of the most faithful and impactful ways you can support the future of our congregation.
Craig’s son, Joe, hopped on camera this week when I shared with him that I wanted to write something about his dad. He, too, wanted to share more with the Grace community about what motivated his dad to give this gift to our congregation - you can watch his video here.
With gratitude for the saints who are still shaping our church today,
Pastor Sarah
Every Friday, we send an email to the congregation and any others who would like to learn more about the Grace community. The last four Friday emails are posted below.