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Together with your attorney as you prepare your
Will/Estate Plan, give prayerful consideration to adding a Preamble such as:
I _______________________ , of the city of
________________ , County of _________________ , and State of
________________ , being of
sound and disposing mind and memory and being under no restraint, do make, declare and
publish this my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all Wills and Codicils heretofore
made by me. In thanksgiving to God for the gift
of life, given in Baptism and for the many blessings which God has showered upon me; and
In thanksgiving to God for the gifts of faith and hope through Jesus Christ; and In
thanksgiving to God for the gifts of nurture and love through the church where we have
shared faith and fellowship; I now commend my loved ones to grow in this same faith, being
true to their own Baptism, knowing that God will continue to provide for them their
lifetime; I encourage them to place their faith and trust in our Lord and Savior.
"Now the feast of celebration all of creation sings for
joy to the God of life and love and freedom; praise and glory forevermore!"
I now therefore.... (and then the particulars of the Will
would follow, leaving gifts to family and friends, but also an articulation of the gifts
you leave to the various ministries of the church.
You may also want to use the following
language for your gifts to support various ministries of the church.
I now respond with the decision to establish the
(insert the name of the Fund, such as your own) Memorial Endowment Fund.The Fund is an expression of my thanksgiving and stewardship with the hope
that the ministries of Jesus Christ will be strengthened and extended in the life of the
Church.
The Fund assets are to be invested and reinvested in
perpetuity by the Endowment Fund of the ELCA according to the prevailing policies for
endowment management. The periodic distribution of the Fund is to be used to support
ministry(ies) in the following manner:
(Here you would stipulate which ministries you intend to
receive an annual gift from your Memorial Endowment Fund.
Your lawyer may also need the following
official language for gifts to the ELCA. All gifts to whatever ELCA ministry
(congregation, synod, social ministry, college/seminary, churchwide,
etc.) can be
left to "The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, in c/o of the
ELCA Foundation, a Minnesota non profit
corporation located at 8765 West Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631." For help and assistance with
Leave a Legacy for Ministry seminars at no obligation or cost to the individual or congregation, contact the
Foundation as listed below.
The
examples and information on this page are for illustrative and
educational purposes only and should not be considered tax or legal
advice. Please consult with your tax or legal advisor before
proceeding with your estate plan.
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