Our lives are filled with people we have loved, communities that have welcomed us, experiences that have shaped us, and hopes we have carried for a better future. Over time, we perhaps become more aware of how much of what we value has been built on the efforts of those who came before us.
I have been involved in stewardship, in both my parish and in our diocese, for close to two decades. Over those years, I have come to appreciate that stewardship is about just that – how we share our gifts of time, talent and treasure to further God’s mission. It is much more than simply our financial contributions to the Church. It is also about recognizing what we have received, what matters to us, and what we hope to pass on.
Generations of Anglicans before us gave their time, shared their resources and sustained our parishes and ministries through their faith, commitment and generosity. They cared about the Church of their day, but they also made possible much of the Church we know today. We have received and recognize what they have entrusted to us.
It follows, therefore, that we should be talking more openly about what we, in turn, might entrust to those who will follow us. What can we do today to help ensure that our Church can sustain its mission in future years?
This question leads directly to a consideration of legacy giving. What will our legacy be, and how will we ensure that it plays the role we intend it to play?
Answering these questions requires that we reflect on what has been important in our lives, to talk with the people we love, and to make thoughtful choices about the difference we would like to make in the future.
Family and those closest to us will naturally be at the centre of those decisions. For many Anglicans, the Church may also have a place. A gift in a will can express something quite simple: that our faith and our Church community have mattered to us, and we would like others to experience what we have found there.
Some may choose to remember their parish. Others may wish to give to one of our Community Ministries: Belong Ottawa, Cornerstone Housing for Women, Centre 105, The Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre, or the Refugee Ministry Office. A gift may also be made to the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. Each reflects a personal decision about what we value and hope will continue.
“Planned giving” means including charitable giving in our longer-term financial or estate planning, as a way of leaving our own personal legacy. Legacy giving is one form, most commonly through a bequest in a will. Such gifts can include securities, life insurance, RRSPs or RRIFs, and beneficiary designations, among others.
Legacy giving is not limited to those with considerable wealth. A gift may be large or modest from accumulated assets or a gift of cash. Professional advice is essential, but the first step can simply be a conversation: What has been important in my life? What do I want to pass on? What would I like to help make possible for others? How do I go about doing that?
On Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., I will host an online diocesan webinar, Supporting the Church You Love, for Generations to Come: Your Legacy. God’s Mission. It will be presented in collaboration with the ADO Learning Commons and the Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS).
I will be joined by Canon J. Davey Gerhard of TENS, Ratul Dutta, a financial advisor from RBC Dominion Securities, and Rita Asangarani, a lawyer practising in wills, estates and trusts. Together, we will bring perspectives on Christian stewardship, financial planning and the legal considerations of legacy giving.
Our hope is to make it easier to begin these conversations, with thoughtful reflection, practical information and an opportunity to ask questions. Free registration on Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1993707443633?aff=oddtdtcreator.
We have received much from those who came before us. In considering our own legacy, we have an opportunity to carry that generosity forward, so that future generations can build strong communities of faith, care for their neighbours, respond to the needs of their time, and ensure that the Church remains an active and meaningful presence in the communities we serve.
Derwyn Sangster is Chair, Stewardship Resource Hub,
Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
La prière de Jésus et la mort