For many people, including a gift in their Will is a final way of giving thanks to God.
We are God’s stewards, entrusted to use His gifts for the good of our family and our church family. In thanksgiving, we should also take Will writing seriously – setting our affairs in order, and stewarding them wisely to the end of our time on earth and beyond.
Key Resources for Church Leaders
The work of 
many of our churches is transformed with legacy income, yet legacies are often seen as one of the most difficult things to discuss in our communities. We aim to support church leaders in beginning this conversation, and carrying it on in a sensitive and low-key manner. We have created a booklet you can download with an idea for each month of the year, to equip you in discussing legacy giving.
Download the pack here 'Talking About Legacies To Your Congregation'
We strongly recommend that every PCC has a legacy policy and communicates that policy to their church community so everyone is sure that their legacy gifts will be well spent. See a template policy here.
Church Legacy - Resources from the Church of England
The Church of England have a variety of resources for promoting and informing people on legacy giving. These resources include posters, flyers, and guides to find out more about leaving a gift in your Will. Find these at the link here.
The resources include videos, like this below, that can be used with your PCCs to start the discussion around legacies.
The Church of England also provides resources to support the practicalities of leaving a gift in your Will including:
Farewill
The cost of writing a Will can be a barrier for some but the Church of England have partnered with Farewill, an online Will-writing service to offer free Will writing to congregation members. The service is easy to use, and can take as little as 30 minutes to work through. Find out more here.
FaithWill
The Anglican Giving Survey (2020)
found that Anglicans are three times as likely to leave a legacy to charity as they are to church. Christian Aid have partnered with the Church of England to make it easier for people to support giving to both.
Christian Aid have produced a suite of free resources and encourage churches to get involved in whatever way they can, ranging from launching a full legacy campaign to just playing a quick 3-minute video in service. They also have a team of trained speakers available to share the legacy message with your congregation. Sign up to receive these resources here.
Giving in Memory
Churches are often asked to receive gifts in memory of a loved one. Special tributes can be made by buying things to furnish the church for example:
- A garden seat with an inscribed brass plate
- A bible or hymn books including a book plate with a loved one's name
- Robes for the choir
- A special tree or shrub for the church grounds
You can also create spaces for your community to interact with the church, and remember their loved ones, for example:
- Having an event like a 'Light up a Life' carol or choral service at Christmas
- Opening and hosting a special in-memory book or inscribed board for all to see at the entrance of the church
- Finding space for a memory tree, where givers are invited to buy a leaf inscribed with their loved one's name
The possibilities are endless and the Stewardship team would be happy to talk with you about legacy giving and giving in memory. Email us at resourcingparishes@leeds.anglican.org.