The LCMS Foundation was created in 1958 by the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to provide Christian estate planning services to LCMS members and help ministries invest or endow the gifts members leave them in their wills or estate plans.
Learning to acknowledge the abundance of God’s blessings to us is the beginning step of putting together the gift plan within our overall estate plans.
“Did you have a good Christmas?” Beginning December 26th, you will probably hear that expression a lot—most answer with a litany of the gifts they received or the parties or gatherings they attended.
Sam was asked that same question by his good friend Daniel. At first, Sam felt awkward, finding it difficult to formulate an answer. But then he remembered something very unique about this Christmas. He and his wife had been working with their LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor to put together an estate plan that would certainly include inheritance for the family but would also include a bold commitment of financial support to their favorite ministry and a missionary halfway around the world. Through regular communication, they had pictures of people who had been baptized and came to faith through that mission activity. They kept all those pictures on their refrigerator. This year, they purposely planned to share their estate plans with their kids. They began by telling them about inheritance. Then they spread out all those pictures from the refrigerator all over the kitchen table where they were sitting, talking about their intended gift for ministry. To their shock and joy, their children didn’t even ask questions about inheritance but asked their parents to tell the stories of those who are now part of Jesus’ Kingdom. “That time of sharing with our kids was the highlight of my Christmas holiday,” Sam said. “Now my kids are asking how they can be part of supporting the same missionary.”
Your LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor will encourage you throughout the process to bless your family beyond inheritance by including them in the privilege and joy of financially supporting the Lord’s work, resulting in the salvation of many. Contact your Florida Gift Planning Counselor, Tony Hunt, CFRE cell 260-222-1291, or email tony.hunt@lfnd.org.