A comprehensive Legacy Pack is now available for parishes within the Winchester Diocese.  The aim of the pack is to encourage parishioners to make legacies to the Church proportionate to their circumstances.  By encouraging legacies centrally, it is hoped that people will also remember their diocese, national organisations, missionary and voluntary societies, and social projects.

The pack includes:

• An introductory letter
• A Legacy Handbook for PCC’s
• Poster
• Magazine articles
• Yesterday, today, forever.  Passing on your Christian Heritage
• Christian Stewardship, Legacies and Wills
• Preparing for a visit to your Solicitor
• Examples of wording for giving money to the Church

To obtain a Legacy Pack, contact...

Gordon Randall, Parish Resources Adviser on 01962 624750;
gordon.randall@chsewinchester.clara.net

Background to legacies

Making a legacy to the church provides Christians with the opportunity to make an extraordinary gift back to God, a gift that may be much greater than was affordable during their lifetime.

There are many good reasons for leaving a legacy to your Church and its wider organisations. For example as a way for a member of the Christian family to:

• give a tithe back to God;
• recognition of the support they receive from the family of God;
• give thanks for the centuries of worship that have taken place in his or her church and for its continuance as a centre of community life;
• contribute to the preservation of our churches and their work for generations to come.

The local parish church has always received legacies (that is gifts of money, property or possessions) from faithful church members and well-wishers.  Such legacies may be an act of thanksgiving to God and a witness to family and friends. 

Some parishes accept these as welcome, unexpected gifts while others openly encourage people to make a legacy to their church.  The Legacy Pack helps parishes to prepare the ground by raising awareness among the Church family of the importance of making a Will and the opportunities available for leaving a legacy.  However, research shows that people leave legacies when they are ready to do so. 

Legacy promotion should be seen as a long-term strategy, which needs to be reviewed regularly and certainly once a year.  Legacies, like regular giving, should always be with us.