While churches hope that donors like Stella carry on indefinitely, like the Queen, she is in fact mortal.  Have you asked Stella if she would like her legacy of caring to continue through a gift in her will?  She trusts the church.  Does the church trust Stella, believe that Stella is brave enough to have this conversation?  Remember that lots of charities ask Stella for money.  Will Stella know that the church would love to receive a bequest from her?  Ask.  Tell the story of what her gift will do.

Literally the stack of church and money books Lori brought to a class of ministry students.

"Young families can't give." Twice in a week I heard exactly the same statement from church leaders. I believe what they meant was "young families with housing costs, daycare fees and mouths to feed can't afford to give to the church." I surely hope it wasn't a theological statement excluding young families! Let me start with a story:

“We had so much fun giving that money away” What if a bequest policy at church was a joyful discussion of one final act of kindness?

Is $20 enough to launch a capital campaign? Yes, yes it is, when the gift is given with eagerness and excitement. My devotional reading today told the story of a single mom's enthusiastic $20 gift to a church building project, a gift given as soon as she heard about it