Sarah Fletcher was a devoted member of Buena Chapel United Methodist Church in Davis, West Virginia. She served as a lay speaker and in a variety of other ministry capacities. When Sarah died on May 30, she had made provision for a gift to support her church. Making a gift from your estate to your church is a way to continue supporting mission and ministry long after your death. I like to think of bequests and other estate giving as a sign of eternal life.
There are many different ways to make an estate gift. The bequest, set out in a will or living trust, is one of the most common ways. You can give a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate (such as a tithe), or the residual of your estate—the remainder after making the specific bequests to care for family and loved ones. Your bequest can be contingent on something else such as the death of a spouse or children.
The bequest is not the only way to leave a legacy to your church. You can make your church a beneficiary of life insurance or retirement accounts by completing a beneficiary designation form your insurance agent or retirement account administrator can provide for you. For many people like Sarah Fletcher, the church is like family, so treating the church like family comes naturally.
Contact The Foundation for information about how you can leave a legacy to support ministry even in death.