For the last month or so, I have been working on revising the old planned giving brochure, which was called “Introduction to Planned Giving.” That brochure was revised in 2003 and released in January of 2004. It is now out of date, and needed to be replaced. So with help from Anglican Life editor, Emily Rowe, we were able to draft the new document and put it a format that it could be printed. These brochures will be distributed to every parish in the the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador.
Copies of these brochures will be shared with Central and Western Newfoundland if they wish to adapt the contents to their particular dioceses.
The purpose of these brochures is to introduce planned giving, and to encourage our faithful parishioners to get their estates in order and to prayerfully consider leaving a bequest or some other product for their parish, to their diocese or to the national church. It explains what planned giving is and discusses the various ways to give. These include bequests in wills, life insurance, gifts of property and gifts of appreciated securities.
It suggests that writing your will and planning your estate go hand in hand. Through careful planning, you can minimize taxes on your final tax return, and increase the amount that is left for the important things that you hold dear in your life—your family and the Church’s ministry. It also points out that planned gifts can be directed to support specific programs in your parish, in the diocese, or in the national church. Examples of this would be youth ministry, Christian education, Queen’s College, an outreach ministry, or the social justice of the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF).
Copies of this new brochure will be available sometime within the next few months.
“Living is giving. We live life best as we give our strengths, gifts and competencies in the service of God’s mission. We are called to serve, not survive. Our giving makes a difference in our families, our work, our community, our world and our church.”
– Kennon L. Callahan, Champion of Christian Stewardship
