Though there are several accounts of the first Thanksgiving meal, most agree that the context for it was a festive celebration for a successful harvest. Growing a much-needed crop was critical in the early 1620’s as the emerging English settlement had limited resources for feeding the growing colony. The bounty they hoped for was flint corn, along with beans and squash.
 

From the moment the seeds were planted, prayer, patience, and perseverance became the primary resources needed to tend and care for both the soil and their souls. Their efforts were rewarded with an abundance at harvest time. The results gave them confidence that they would have enough to endure the challenges of winter.

Every harvest begins the same way…planting a seed…and for the seed to grow it needs to be in good soil. An interest-earning savings account can be the soil where a seed grows over time, bearing good fruit as a reward for patience and disciplined drive.

How can you turn a $2,500 seed into a $4,380 harvest by doing just one thing and then doing absolutely nothing? The one thing is to take the $2,500 and open a savings account with the United Methodist Development Fund for the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference…and then leave it alone.

Taking the $2,500 and letting it grow through compounding interest at 3.75% (our rate starting January 1, 2026) for 15 years would result in a harvest of $4,380. Yes, that nearly doubled the size of the original deposit, but with a little more discipline and dedication, that same $2,500 could be over $10,000 in the same time frame. This would require doing one more thing in addition to depositing the funds and leaving them alone. The one additional step is simple…deposit just $25.00 extra on a monthly basis. Think of this extra step as the fertilizer for enriching the soil even more. This not only increases the balance, it multiplies the interest as it compounds over time. The resulting return would quadruple the initial deposit in 15 years to $10,412.

Remember, this is an open savings account, NOT a CD, so your funds are available anytime. Here is a link to FAQ’s in case you would like more information. We hope you will consider opening such an account with us…and leave the money alone to grow. If you can take the additional step of making even small, frequent deposits, your results will be even greater!
 

Contact Tiffany Ford, Administrator for the United Methodist Development Fund for TN/KY, Inc. Anyone residing in either Tennessee or Kentucky can open such an account, and you do not have to be a member of a United Methodist Church. The office number is 615-259-2066 or you can reach Tiffany at tiffany.ford@umftwk.org.

Plant the seed…harvest the rewards…enjoy the fruits of your patience and dedication!