Rev. Jim Vehling remembers standing in front of the Martin Luther statue on the Concordia University, St. Paul campus as a boy of 5 or 6. "I'm going to this school," he told his family. "Even then I was determined to be a pastor like my dad."

Today, Jim, 80, is a retired pastor living in St. Paul with his wife, Jane, 78.

During their pastoral career, the couple served as missionaries in Japan, among other notable roles. Now, they've chosen another mission: giving back to CSP. Jim attended CSP from 1954 to 1960. Jane's brother, also a retired pastor, and his wife attended CSP, too.

"Going away to school at 14, you grow up quickly," Jim says. "I look back and the teachers were people who cared for us and our education. You could model your life after them."

The experience also formed in him a strong foundation to be able to venture into the world. "Concordia gave me the ability to make decisions, have confidence and accept challenges," he says.

In gratitude for their family's CSP connection, the couple created two charitable gift annuities that, after their lifetimes, will be used to fund the James J. and Jane E. Vehling Endowed Scholarship.

The gift annuities are multiple blessings for the couple, Jim says, in that they provide monthly income to supplement the Vehlings' social security and enable them to create their legacy—and support future students—at CSP.

Giving to the Vehlings' scholarship has become a family affair. Not only does a granddaughter attend CSP on scholarship and play volleyball, but the couple's two children were totally supportive of the charitable gift.

Jim and Jane believe that sharing a charitable giving plan with family—and making them part of the decision—is crucial for family buy-in and blessing, and in their case led to a good feeling about their gift. "Our children may even one day give to the scholarship, too," Jim says.

Support Students and Your Family

When you establish a gift that pays, you build a CSP legacy and receive income in return. Learn about the benefits of creating a charitable gift annuity by contacting Mark Hill at 651-641-8223 or hill@csp.edu.