In Your Interest – by Valerie Rumbough

What kind of giver are you? In Kennon Callahan’s book, “Giving and Stewardship in an Effective Church,” he discusses six ways that motivate people to give.

Rumbough

Many of us are motivated in more than one way. For example, we give our tithes and offerings to our church. We also give to short-term major projects, such as in capital campaigns. One way we can be motivated that is often overlooked is legacy giving. Have you ever thought about the future of your church – the lives that will be touched, the ministries that will be done, the number of people who will become part of the kingdom of God – because of what the body of believers at your church will be able to do? The possibilities are endless!

However, it costs money to expand the kingdom of God! When you go to church this Sunday, think about where your church has been, where it is going, and most of all, how many lives have been changed in the process. Would you like to see that continue, long after you have gone to be with the Lord? You can, and it is easier than you may think.

Legacy giving can be accomplished by good estate planning. Find someone who can help you plan how you will take care of both your family and the ministries you hold dear. Many times it can be quite simple.

For example, you could simply add a sentence to your will that instructs your personal representative to tithe your estate to your church, then your family can have the other 90 percent. How easy is that?

Many times people don’t name their church in their will or other estate plans because they never thought about it. I challenge you today to think about it.

If you need guidance with your particular situation, contact your attorney, financial planner, or the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina. There are a lot of tools out there for your use in making those legacy gifts that one day will help to expand the kingdom of God. That’s real investing!

– Rumbough, CPA, CFP, is chief operations officer with the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina. Contact her at 800-723-7242. In accordance with IRS Circular 230, any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.