Why do I need an estate plan? Even as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this Easter Season we also know that His victory is so sweet because it gives eternal life even as our present lives here on earth are finite.
An estate plan, and the gift plan that designs how God’s gifts will be distributed to the family you love and the ministries you care about, begins with a face-to-face conversation about end-of-life issues. Yet “end of life” is not really accurate for a child of God. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and life … whoever lives and believes in me will by no means die, forever.”
Planned Giving: One Family’s Story
Don and Mary recently reviewed their estate plan and their plan for gifts found within that estate plan. They reaffirmed the decisions they made ten years ago were still the best decisions for showing love to their children and grandchildren, and for supporting their congregation and other ministries that mean so much to them.
In their review, they found that they needed to clean up some beneficiary designations that had gotten out of alignment with that plan. They also found that over the last ten years, God had blessed them with even more gifts than before and that their gift plan would be even more of a blessing.
With the support of their LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor, they decided to call together a family meeting. One child objected saying, “Mom and Dad, quit being so morbid.” But they proceeded on with the gathering. They began by reading their family blessings. By the end of those four paragraphs, everyone had tears running down their faces, thankful for the love and faith they shared.
Then Don and Mary explained their gift plan to their family, pointing out the gifts their family would receive someday and their support for the Lord’s work that always had been a hallmark of this family. Then, they prayed.
As their children and grandchildren were loading up into cars to leave, with hugs all around, great peace was upon them all and a confidence abounded. That day they had a chance to remember that life in Jesus goes on forever. Your LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor can help.
