Leaving a Gift in Your Will
Once you have made provision for your loved ones, you have the opportunity to make a lasting gift to God, by leaving a legacy to His church. A gift in your Will to your local church is one of the most valuable and lasting ways you can continue to support its mission and ministry within your community.
3 steps…
1) Make a Will and review it regularly;
2) Consider leaving a proportion of your estate in your Will to our parish
Church Legacy has further information that you can consider before you do this;
3) Get a free information pack about making a Will and making a difference to the work of the wider Church
Phone 08445 870875 or visit this link to order a free pack from the Church’s Legacy & Wills Information Line.
Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Your Will Matters
Thinking about life after death should not be difficult for Christians! Make sure you are prepared practically as well as spiritually. Whatever your age, write a Will and keep it up to date. If you die without a Will, your loved ones could face a lot of trouble and expense, and a court could decide how your property is divided and who cares for your children. Many Christians give regularly and proportionately from their income. Why not give proportionately from your estate too? A gift in your Will helps our church to live out our dreams and mission in this community. It’s a way to thank God for all the gifts of your lifetime and to hand on the legacy we have received from generations of Christians past to Christians of the future. Leaving a gift in your Will can also reduce the amount of inheritance tax you pay.
Our Legacy Policy
We welcome all legacies, however large or small and we promise to use such gifts to make a difference to the work of the church in our parish.
We encourage prospective donors to leave gifts for general rather than specific purposes, as circumstances can change over the years which might prevent fulfilling a specific request. We will, however, consult with executors to identify the most appropriate use of the gift, taking account of current projects and the donor’s known areas of special interest in the church (for example children and youth, music, buildings).
Suggested wording to leave a gift in your Will:
“I give____% of my residuary estate (or “the sum of £___”) free of all taxes to the Parochial Church Council of the parish of St Peter and St Paul, Dorchester on Thames, registered charity number 1133787 (commonly known as Dorchester Abbey), in the Diocese of Oxford for its general purposes, and I declare that the receipt of an officer of the Council shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors and trustees.”
We strongly advise you to seek professional advice and to see a solicitor when making or revising your Will.
If you need advice finding a local Solicitor, please click here A standard Will costs around £100 + VAT and the Solicitor should outline the cost upfront before you visit them.
You may find this ‘Preparing to visit your Solicitor‘ document helpful.
