No matter how large or small, gifts in wills create amazing opportunities for mission. Through prayer we can discern God’s will for our lives, and that includes seeking his guidance on how we use all that he has entrusted to us for his glory.
How should churches promote legacy giving?
Gently is the simple answer! There are a number of ideas available from the church legacy website: parish magazine articles, sermon ideas, leaflets you can overprint or simply order. However, the most important thing that you can do is for the PCC to determine its policy on legacies and to publish it to the congregation so that potential donors will know what will happen to their gift.
A policy might be on the lines of: "The policy of the PCC is to use legacies to help fund significant development projects in the parish, whether buildings, equipment or staff. As circumstances change over the years, it may not be possible to fulfill specific donor requests, so church members are encouraged to leave legacies for the general purposes of the parish. The PCC will discuss with executors the most appropriate use of the legacy in the light of current projects and the donor's known areas of interest in the church (e.g. children & youth, music, buildings)."
Information about how to encourage legacy giving in your parish can be found on the Parish Resources website in the following places
