Sermon Title: 

"Giving to Change Lives"

2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 10-11 (NRSV)

6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us;

Second Scripture Reading:

Matthew 25: 14-30 (NRSV)

14 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Presentation Title: 

"Giving Generously and Leaving a Legacy"

The presentation will focus on giving now and estate planning. KMF staff will share ways to maximize your giving during life, and provide considerations for charitable giving through estate planning to support the church through a legacy gift.

Time:

45-60 minutes

The presenter will be using a PowerPoint presentation.  We will bring a laptop that can be used to run the slides. We will need a large screen or space to project the slides and a projector.

Please let us know in advance if we need to bring a projector or if you will need the PowerPoint slides in advance.

KMF will provide bulletin inserts that you can use in worship. Click here to view the insert. Please email us at Dustin@KansasMethodistFoundation.org to let us know how many bulletin inserts you would like. The bulletin inserts will be mailed to you.

We find the using the following items most valuable when promoting an upcoming presentation.

Customize the invitation letter and send it via mail or email to invite members of the congregation to attend the workshop.

Dear {Name},

I invite you to join us for a presentation, Giving Generously and Leaving a Legacy, that will take place on {date and time} at {location}. During the presentation, you will have the opportunity to learn more about how to maximize your giving during life and considerations for giving through your estate. I believe everyone in our church will benefit from the information provided.

This free presentation is offered by the Kansas Methodist Foundation. KMF works with churches across the state of Kansas, helping them to be financially healthy through providing education and support to the church and its members.

I pray you will consider joining us as we learn more about how we can use the resources God entrusted us to make a lasting difference in our community.

{Your favorite salutation}

{Pastor’s name}

Make an announcement from the pulpit during the services.

Possible talking points:

Share a story about the difference receiving a bequest made for the church. Or, share a story about a person who intended to leave a bequest, but did not have it in place and the church did not receive a gift.

Share a story about a non-cash gift that was given to the church and the difference that was made.

If you have worked through planning your estate plan/will share your personal experience and your “why”.

Share the information about the event in the bulletin as an upcoming event. 

Promote the event through the website and social media. KMF can provide graphics for you to use. Please email us if you would like to send custom graphics.

Send a thank you letter to each of the attendees. Keep the momentum going through quarterly reminders.

Dear {Name},

I write to thank you for attending Giving Generously and Leaving a Legacy, the giving seminar that was held at our church on {date and time}. I found that the information was helpful as I think about ways I can make a difference through my resources now and in the future. I hope you found the information to be beneficial as well.

One of the most important ideas I came away with is generosity can be planned now as well as for the end of our life. No matter how large or small our estate may be, we all can give a tithe that may provide tax benefits, but more importantly creates a lasting legacy for our church and in our community.

I invite you to prayerfully consider how you might make a difference now and in the future. I humbly ask that you consider including {church name} the next time your draft or revise your will. Through supporting our church, you will make a lasting difference in {name ministries that excite your church}.

{Your favorite salutation}

{Pastor’s name}