Details on the May 17 stewardship best practices forum>>

What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me.
Psalm 116:12

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:16

As Christians, each of is called to be a good steward of the gifts that God has entrusted to our care. Part of our call, our vocation, involves putting those gifts to work to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can do that through our stewardship and planned gifts to our parishes and to the Diocese.

Stewardship

While stewardship does indeed involve giving away money, it is more than philanthropy. Just as Christians are called to worship in community, participate in Eucharist, serve the poor and needy in the wider world, and share the Gospel with others, they are called to be good stewards, to thank God by giving back a portion of what God has given to us. Time, talent and treasure are the three ways we can display our gratitude.

Planned Giving

The planned giving ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts seeks to:

• Help individuals who wish to make a bequest or deferred gift to benefit their local parish, the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts or the Episcopal Church
• Assist congregations interested in developing programs to promote stewardship through bequests and deferred giving

For individuals

Did you know that you can make a gift to the church and receive income and enjoy tax benefits? By making a bequest or a life income gift, individuals can support the work of their parish, Diocese, or denomination while providing for the needs of loved ones.

Bequest

Perhaps the simplest form of planned gift, a bequest is a provision of one’s will whereby something is left upon that person’s death to another individual or organization. Any asset may be given by bequest – securities, cash, real estate, artwork.

Life income gift

Life income, or planned, gifts, often involve assets accumulated over a life-time and are often capital gifts; they can provide income to the donor during her/his lifetime and include annuities, pooled income funds, retained life estates, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and life insurance.

For parishes

Developing a viable planned giving ministry requires not only strong and committed lay and ordained leadership, but also the broader perspective of people involved in outreach and pastoral care ministries to ensure that the planned giving effort is truly a ministry.

Success depends on preparation: the parish leadership must be ready to discuss sensitive topics and they must develop an endowment policy which specifies the types of gifts the parish will accept and under what conditions, as well as a management plan for the received assets.

Once a planned giving ministry has been launched, parishioners must be educated about stewardship, end-of-life issues and finance through both educational programming and from the pulpit. The importance of committed clergy cannot be overemphasized.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact lmatt [at] diomass [dot] org, associate director of resource development (617-482-5800, ext. 515).

You may also find the following sites helpful:

• The Episcopal Church Foundation
• The Episcopal Stewardship Network
• The Planned Giving Design Center