For Ministry Leaders

The benefits of gift planning to ministry

We often talk to pastors about the number of funerals they attend each year where the deceased hasn’t included the congregation in their will. LCMS schools and RSOs also have extremely dedicated supporters, but are also often forgotten in their supporters’ last wishes. It might sound blunt, but the fact is that many Lutherans would gladly include the congregations and ministries they cherish within their wills, but simply don’t know how or have never been asked to do so. 

Having a gift planning program within your ministry can provide a framework within which individuals are asked to consider the ways God has blessed their lives, and to contemplate how they can honor those blessings by supporting ministry even after they’ve left this Earth. Having a gift planning program converts the difficult task of asking for money (and talking about death) into a simple, joyful and mutually-beneficial program.

What is a charitable giving program?

A charitable giving program is an organized effort by your ministry to offer gift planning services to your members or supporters. By partnering with the LCMS Foundation, you can establish a program that will benefit your members today, while also helping ensure the financial well-being of your ministry tomorrow and for years to come.