By the time you read this many people who had made resolutions for the New Year have already broken them. Whether or not you made one, the New Year does provide an opportunity to make a decision that lasts forever. What decision’s impact might last forever? The decision you make about your estate, of course! Outside the decision to follow Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, the decision you make over the stewardship of your relationships and your possessions is the second most important decision you will ever make.
The latest research indicates that 55% of American adults do not have a will or other estate plan in place. This means other people will be making crucial decisions for them. (The number is even higher among African Americans (68%) and Hispanic Americans (74%).) The Missouri Baptist Foundation wishes to see these numbers decrease by providing estate planning opportunities to all Missouri Baptists and others who have a charitable intent.
While we do not practice law, we are able to help you prepare a time and money saving plan you can take to your attorney. We assist you, by walking with you as a trusted friend. Together we navigate the important questions of what should happen to the people and possessions in your life. This is important for those who may be approaching their golden years; however, it may actually be even more important for young families in case something unexpected were to ever happen. We can serve as your confidential professional helping you create a plan to ensure your loved ones’ needs are met, while also creating a legacy for the ministries you love.
We guide you through the decision making process. Decisions like whom to name to serve as powers of attorney for both financial and health directives, and the advantages of maybe even creating a trust. These questions can all be overwhelming, but we are here to help you make sure your wishes are met. We also can help you review your plan if it has been some time since you have examined it.
We also will ask you to think about your charitable intentions in supporting partners you may already be supporting, ministries like the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, the Cooperative Program of the Missouri Baptist Convention, Hannibal-LaGrange University, Southwest Baptist University and especially your local church. These ministries are supported by many caring individuals both in life by direct giving, but also through generous planned estates.
We also possess the knowledge to best leverage your resources to ensure the greatest ministry impact, while potentially lowering tax obligations. Our “Giving it Twice” program and Charitable Gift Annuities are just two examples of ways to provide a lifetime stream of income.
The New Year is also an excellent time for a local church to evaluate the effectiveness of the funds they steward. Whether the funds are for the short term or the long term, we have solutions to maximize those dollars in order to help the local church Advance the Gospel in their context. I am excited to say we will have new opportunities to share shortly, which will allow us to do even more for our churches and entities. And, should your local church be interested in creating an endowment for future ministry needs, our Power of Five program could be part of the solution.
All that to say, we at the MBF want to be your financial and ministry friend, helping not only to make a greater impact on today, but on tomorrow as well. Please know we are eager to speak with you concerning the options you have. We love visiting with Sunday School Classes, Senior Adult groups, finance committees and individuals. There are no costs associated with these meetings.
All it takes is you reaching out to us. Above all, we want you to make a decision today that will far outlast 2018’s New Year’s resolution.