Time, talent, and treasure. These are the three resources we have as gifts from God. Generosity is the way we show our commitment to Christ, to being his disciples. We can consider our entire lives as an offering we make in response to God’s love.

Christians are inclined to be generous. Since the day of Pentecost, the ministry of the Church has been in our hands.

We give in many ways. We give our time and effort by volunteering (Time). We bring our unique talents and use them to fulfill the purpose of the Church (Talent). And we support the ministry of the Church financially by sharing our resources (Treasure).

When it comes to the third “T,” Treasure, we have three pots of treasure:

• Regular income
• Accumulated assets
• Estates

Weekly and special offerings often appeal to our regular income. We should consider the other two as well: assets and estates. Christian stewardship includes all three.

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it. Psalm 24:1

Legacy Giving is a special kind of giving. When someone leaves a bequest for their church, they are practicing stewardship. What is stewardship? Here are some basic ideas:

• All gifts come from God’s love and generosity.
• We have a responsibility to tend and care for God’s gifts in a responsible and accountable manner.
• God has no need for us to give, but rather has created us with a need to be generous.

We love because God first loved us. 1 John 4:19

When your congregation promotes bequests and estate plans that include the church, you are helping your members be the best stewards they can be. Setting up a Legacy Giving program isn’t complicated. It simply requires long-term dedication. If you want to see how easy it is, contact me using this form.