Who will be best blessed by gifts from my estate someday?

Have you ever been asked to participate in a Christmas gift collection drive, to give gifts to a cause that someone else will distribute? Chances are, you will never directly meet the people receiving the gift. While there is no arguing with the value of these gifts, it can feel like something is missing. The giving can become more of a transaction or a checkmark rather than heart-felt, warm giving of God’s good things. If you are participating in one of these collections this year, go on websites, read literature, volunteer, striving to become heart-connected to the giving.

Estate gifts given without heart-connection rob the giver of the joy God means for us to enjoy in the giving. Instead of leaving estate gifts to family to be discovered when the will is read someday, gather your family together and openly share with them the blessings you hope these future gifts will bring.

Think also of the gifts you plan to give to ministry. Don’t wait for the ministry to find out about the gift until your will is read. Set up a meeting to discuss your gift with the pastor or executive leader and talk about what you hope the gift will accomplish in ministry. Ask for that ministry leader to pray with you about this gift.

With some work and careful planning and communication, you can bring the joy of giving into your life as you disperse God’s gifts to the family you love and the ministries you care about the most.

Jason Jones, CGP, CDE, is Saint John’s Gift Planning Counselor. Jason works with individuals in our congregation who want to discover the lifetime plan that God has planted in their heart. He will help them to use this plan to Transfer the Blessings God has given them to their family and the ministries they love. This service comes to you at no cost as a member of Saint John’s. To schedule a free meeting with Jason or ask questions about this special opportunity, visit www.StJohnsFC.org/transfer-the-blessings, call (970) 988-0305 or email Jason.Jones@lfnd.org.