“What Should I Leave to My Community of Faith?”

Dear Reader,

I want to thank you for your recent letter entitled, “What type of gift should I leave in my will for my community of faith?” You raised many intriguing ideas—funds to ensure the rose garden exists in perpetuity, funds to renovate the parlour (along with an included detailed sketch of exactly how you envision said parlour, because you have never liked the paint or furniture), or perhaps after you move into life beyond death the church would like the eight-foot-tall garden sculpture you picked up on a 1965 trip to Greece?

Dear Reader, allow me to endeavour to answer your question with a story. 

Growing up, I only saw my grandmother two or three times a year. If one of those occasions was Christmas, I received a gift from her. As I aged, those gifts were often wearable gifts—sweaters, jewellery, etc. After the gift was given, a certain process began. First, it was expected that I would gush over the gift. Obviously, a more beautiful sweater had never been given. Then, I needed to track that gift over the next six or eight months to make sure it wasn’t damaged or lost. No eating spaghetti while wearing Grandma’s sweater! Finally, I needed to ensure that I was wearing the gift joyfully the next time I saw my grandmother—whether the gift was liked, needed, or a proper fit did not matter. 

Essentially, these were gifts of stress and obligation, gifts that were really more about my grandmother than me.

So Dear Reader, knowing your heart is kind, generous, and committed to your community of faith, I want to ask you, do you want your gift to be one of stress and obligation, more about you? Or do you want your gift to be one of joyful support and grace?

When you enter God’s glory, unfortunately without your yard statue, the good news is that you will be unburdened from all the worries that service in the church today can bring. It will be someone else’s job to find readers for worship every Sunday and snow removers every winter. Thank goodness! 

Other people will also see particular needs and callings the congregation is facing that you might not even be able to imagine at this moment. Do not burden them by attaching a lot of strings to your gift, or expecting that the gift will last forever. Trust their wisdom and insight.

Oh, Dear Reader, I can feel you bristling. Here, let me take your hand. I know that many areas of ministry are important to you and I don’t mean to trivialize that. I know that you care deeply about the meal program your church offers, the music, and the children’s ministry. You should tell your church leadership about those passions. They will see that your gift aligns with those passions. But they may just do it differently than you envision right now, and that’s okay. 

Let me say, on behalf of all of us, Dear Reader, thank you for your gift. Before you rush to your attorney’s office, I hope you will rush to a coffee date with your minister or council chair. Tell them what has been most important in your life of faith. Ask how your passions might meet the needs they are facing. Agree, and this is important, ahead of time, to what that gift will be. I know your gift, no matter the amount or scope, will make a difference, and will reveal God’s love in your little corner of the world.

And with that, I am off to repaint a church parlour. Toodaloo!

Sincerely,

Ms. Legacy Giving Manners

—AKA Rev. Brenna Baker, Community of Faith Stewardship Support Staff, United Church General Council Office

The views contained within these blogs are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of The United Church of Canada.