Brenners recognize the impact of USF

Why did JoAnn and I decide to financially support the University of Sioux Falls and also remember them in our estate planning? Let me try to explain.

In my sermon files, there are several sermons about the dangers of looking back, but there are also some that emphasize the positive aspects of reflection. In the Old Testament, the prophets often exhorted the Israelites to remember the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with the intent of reminding them about how God has working in there origin as a nation. This kind of remembrance was meant to encourage them in the present and future.

As I reflect on 38 years of association with USF, I think of my family. JoAnn and I met and married while at the University. Our three children graduation from there, our two sons met and married their wives at USF, and I have four of the smartest grandchildren in the world. (That is an unbiased opinion!) Our three children are engages in productive careers, due in great measure to the education they received at the University. USF encouraged and nurtured them in their relationship with Jesus Christ, and they have gone on to become actively involved in their local church. We recognize the great impact USF has had on our family, and we are very thankful.

As I reviewed my family's strong connection to the institution, I began to think of other youth we have encouraged to attend USF over the years. I came up with 45 names—we still have contact with, or know about, many of them.

Thirty received degrees from USF, and two are still enrolled. Thirty-one are active in their church, while 16 came to know their eventual spouse at the campus and remain married to them. The university has made a huge difference in the lives of these Christian servants, and JoAnn and I are grateful to have played a role in their college selection.

She and I will continue to urge young scholars to attend USF, just as we will continue to support USF financially. We have also decided to help sustain the ministry of this distinctively Christian university by including it in our estate plans. That is the greatest gift and respect we feel we can offer toward its marvelous mission. A percentage of our estate will be given to the University to ensure the longevity of our scholarships. The JoAnn and Kurt Brenner Endowed Scholarship is a gift that will allow us to prove for generations ahead.

( Kurt and JoAnn Brenner from Colorado Springs, Colorado, will benefit USF students for generations to come through a bequest to establish an endowed scholarship fund.)